Pass any school campus in Greenbrier County and you will notice “Positive Verbiage Posters.” The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s Community Relations Committee in cooperation with Greenbrier County Community in Schools have partnered up on a county-wide project and created positive posters for each school (elementary, middle schools and high schools) in Greenbrier County.
When weather permits, the posters are outside around the campus (in addition to being inside). Posters are dropped off to the schools on a monthly basis and placed on walls, doors and windows throughout the school by staff members.
“The language that we use and see in print has a huge impact on students, parents’ and adult’s emotional wellbeing in our schools, especially this year. Our words, whether written or spoken (tone of voice) have a profound effect on people in general. We can empower our students, parents and teachers, by tuning in to the language we use with children and adults helping them to learn new skills and to become their best selves,” states Mrs. Deborah Johnson, second grade teacher at Ronceverte Elementary School.
To choose positive behaviors, children need to see themselves as capable individuals and responsible community members. Adults can use language both verbal and written to help children build that self-perception. The positive verbiage posters convey the belief that children want to cooperate, listen, and do good work, while also giving them information about how they can follow through with improving their character and becoming the best version of themselves.
By using language to convey beliefs in our children/parents/teachers’ abilities and intentions, we help them internalize a confident identity and develop more awareness and self-control in order to promote positive behaviors. These powerful tools can nurture self-control, build a sense of belonging, and help to gain academic and social skills.
Ronceverte Elementary would like to thank WVSOM (also a Partner in Education) and our Community in Schools for providing this opportunity for our schools in Greenbrier County.