Article: Nature or Nurture—What Makes an Elementary Student Successful?

Elementary school principals at roundtable say daily diligence and emotional connections are key components to student success.

Principals from each elementary school met with the Palo Alto Unified School District Board in a special session Tuesday morning for its annual "Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA)" roundtable.

The objective for this annual strategy session was to review what is being done at each school to identify the most critical areas of development in local elementary students and devise ways to work together and help them succeed and grow, at every level.

This year's meeting touched upon many of the major areas of elementary curriculum, including literacy and mathematics, but some of the most passionate subjects discussed were those involving social and emotional well being and nontraditional methods of evaluating students regularly.

Mary Bussman, principal of Walter Hays Elementary School, said it is critical that teachers learn to foster emotional connections with their students, especially ones who appear to be struggling.

"Children work best when they develop a trusting relationship with their teacher. So I really look at my teachers—do they know each child inherently?" Bussman asked the room full of board members and principals. "Only when a child feels safe does the brain open up its pathways to true learning."

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