This content was originally published in St. Louis Magazine’s Private School Handbook.
Any golf enthusiast will tell you that the game carries weight beyond the course. It’s a sport that appeals to all personality types but requires focus and quiet. It’s a sport that Tom Eichwald says can reveal important personality characteristics about the students he coaches at Christian Brothers College High School. “Golf coaching is more about managing the person than the technique and strategy,” says Eichwald, who tries to tailor his coaching method to each golfer. “I’m learning what you say to a kid when he hits a bad shot: With some, I pretend I didn’t see it; others want to be reassured, and some need decompression, so I joke with them.”
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For him, the priority is getting to know each student so that when an issue arises, the instructor and student can handle it together—whether on the course or in the classroom. “Sometimes there is a kid whose grades are dropping and we aren’t sure why, but we can reach out to another teacher or an advisor,” he says. “At CBC, there is somebody who knows every student.”
But addressing students’ needs goes beyond a general philosophy. Eichwald coordinates the Northwest Evaluation Association program, which serves as an assessment tool for a student’s entire career. The class of 2016 was the school’s first group with a complete dataset. Educators can see not only where groups of students excel but also where individual students improve and worsen over time.
“We can look at how entire classes do, or we can break it down by particular courses,” Eichwald says. “I can look at individual student scores and get a breakdown of any test he takes and what skills he still needs to acquire.”
The next step is turning that data into actionable steps. Part of the equation is finding the right teaching method: Not every student can silently memorize data; some crave interaction, some learn by doing, and others learn by talking through an idea.
Another important aspect is building relationships. CBC is broken into 10 communities, each with four class advisors—similar to a group of small towns within a larger region. The students are able to help each other in different ways, because they interact on a more personal level. A freshman mentoring program pairs new students with upperclassmen who can show them the ropes.
“Some of the extroverted kids come in bouncing off the walls, ready to get involved in their interests,” Eichwald says, “but there are plenty of kids who aren’t sure yet where they fit in. It’s the job of the upperclassmen to invite them into things to make sure the opportunities are available. Some kids have to know someone else to get involved.”
The combination of data and a personal touch often helps students thrive. “The most important thing we do is take the time and effort to get to know our students,” says Eichwald.
The same could be said of Villa Duchesne’s middle school, where educators tout the benefits of a peer advisory system. Students meet with the same teacher once every two weeks to check on coursework and goals. In the seventh and eighth grades, students are assigned through a house system to groups for activities such as scavenger hunts and field days. It’s not all fun and games, though. “There is a more spiritual and religious component as well,” says Celeste Chappuis, Villa Duchesne’s director of counseling. “The students develop a real community.”
Through those communities, students can let their individual personalities shine. “Teachers have to connect,” Chappuis says. “You have to find some common ground and build a level of trust that students can share with you.” She suggests that educators cater to their students’ personality types. A public speaking assignment, for instance, might call for the educator to encourage the student by saying, “Hey, I know that addressing a large room full of kids is difficult for most folks. I really want you to have the opportunity to prepare and have the time and the space by yourself. I’m here for you if you need it.”
“All students have the same capacity for success,” says Chappuis. “You just have to give them the time, the space, and the privacy to build that speech or presentation. Let them have ample time to rehearse it, and then boom—let them impress you.”
