Wasatch Academy has been integrating Schools Attuned since 2004. The school has seen many changes in how it supports teachers in integrating the principles and processes. As with many schools, initial trainees came away overwhelmed by the prospect of integrating Schools Attuned at the student, classroom, and school levels. – And integration at one level can be complicated by the lack of support for integration at the other levels.

The process of trial and error has not dissuaded Mr. Loftin, our Headmaster. On the contrary, Wasatch Academy is reaching new heights by training all of its teachers. As of last year, Wasatch also began requiring Schools Attuned certification of its dorm parents. Dorm parents are a critical link and, in the unique boarding school environment of Wasatch Academy, hold the potential to make a critical difference in the success of our students. Schools Attuned training now serves as a bridge between teachers and dorm parents. Using a shared vocabulary, tools, and philosophy, the entire community works toward supporting students using Schools Attuned. It is an exciting and heartening time here. New connections and levels of participation/ integration help to define educational excellence for Wasatch Academy.

As our community proceeds with training a new batch of teachers and dorm parents, I am excited to support more outstanding teachers and dorm parents. My job is to train and support our employees in integrating Schools Attuned into their professional practices. But by no means do I think I have it, “all figured out.” The truth is that I am still trying new things and eagerly seeking new ideas. So here are my questions for readers:

1. How are you supporting integration at the school/ community levels? Has it worked? Why or why Not?

2. Has your school trained non-teaching personnel? How did it go? Did it actually help foster collaboration in how, where, and when to use Schools Attuned?