When students at Blair Moody Elementary School reach their individual academic goals, they have the opportunity to go out into the hallway and ring a ship’s bell hung by the front office for everyone to hear.
“It’s so fun to watch our students clapping and cheering when one of their peers rings the bell,” said Michelle Hernandez, principal at Blair Moody Elementary. “It’s an exciting moment for them and a great way to help keep them motivated so they have their own chance to ring it.”
Determining who gets to ring the bell is up to the students and their teachers. Each student has their own specific goals they want to achieve.
“We know every student is different,” said Michelle. “So we know making every goal the same isn’t the right way to help students succeed. This is why we set individual goals for each of our students and celebrate them when they reach them.”
As happy as it makes staff, nothing compares to seeing how excited the students become when they get to be the one to ring the bell.
“As much as we love watching our students meet their goals and ring the bell,” says Michelle. “It pales in comparison to seeing the smiles on their faces and excitement they experience when it’s their turn.”
According to Michelle, finding easy and creative ways to help keep students motivated is something that’s extremely important.
“To us, it just seems like a fun thing to do for students,” she said. “But to them, it’s something they may grow up remembering as one of their favorite parts of elementary school.”
If you’re ever in the halls at Blair Moody Elementary and see a student “ringing the bell,” make sure to stop and congratulate them.