Best Practices

---

• Broadcast Daily - Our data indicates that schools that broadcast the Project Wisdom messages daily experience greater increases in student social awareness and a greater positive impact on the morale of teachers. Boosting teacher morale can have a positive impact on your entire campus.

• Get Parents and the Community Involved - Announce upcoming themes in newsletters and on homework hotlines so parents can reinforce at home these same themes, character words, and expectations. Invite parents, business leaders, elected officials, local celebrities, and faith leaders to be guest narrators.
  > Learn more

• Seize Teachable Moments - Encourage teachers, staff, and service workers to seize teachable moments by referring to the themes or messages in conversations with students. (Remember our theme this week? Success is all about doing your personal best, or Did you hear the message this morning? Could you have made a better choice?)

• Use in Counseling - When appropriate, counselors can use the messages, themes, and character words in counseling sessions. ("Self-Worth: Dealing with Our Anger" - Remember our theme this week? There are better ways to deal with anger. Would you like for me to help you with that?)

• Help with Discipline - Teachers and administrators can use the themes, messages, and character words to help students examine the choices they are making. ("Kindness and Courtesy: Weakness or Strength" - Tell me what our theme is for this week. Could you have made a more courteous choice?)

• Encourage Reflection - Set aside time each Friday for students to write in their journals in advisor/advisee, in homeroom, or perhaps during their language arts class. If you are using the Weekly or Monthly Themes, this will help students reflect on the specific content of the messages they heard all week.
  > Learn more about Elementary
  > Learn more about Secondary

• Create Classroom Discussion - Once the students have had an opportunity to reflect and write, use the journals as a discussion starter by asking volunteers to:
  1. Read aloud the section called "Something to Think About."
  2. Explain why they do or do not agree with those statements.
  3. Answer the "Question of the Week" and explain their responses.
  4. Share segments of what they wrote that might benefit others in the class.

• Use the Themes - Using the Weekly or Monthly Themes will help establish a "virtue vocabulary" on your campus and provide a common focus for the week or month. The broadcast messages, journal pages, and lesson plans associated with each theme are grouped for our convenience and ready to print.
  > Learn more about Elementary
  > Learn more about Secondary
  

• Post the Themes - Post the Weekly or Monthly Theme on marquees in the school, on main bulletin boards, and in classrooms. Post the themes on marquees outside the school and get the community on board. Inform your local newspapers, publications, and radio or television stations of the themes you will be using.

> Learn more