Informal History of ENVoY
ENVoY is a classroom management system developed by Michael Grinder after observational research in more than 6000 classrooms. Grinder wanted to find out the nitty-gritty reasons why students learn well and behave well with some teachers and yet those same students are unmanageable with other teachers. What were the successful teachers doing? Michael Grinder identified the seven non-verbal techniques used by all of the best teachers, techniques that worked no matter what subject or grade level they were teaching. That's how he came up with "The Seven Gems of Classroom Management," also known as ENVoY.
Any teacher who learns the Seven Gems and uses them consistently will have more learning going on in their classroom. And the students will know the teacher cares.
In other words, ENVoY helps teachers keep good relationships with students while at the same time holding them accountable for their behavior. It helps teachers do what they went to college to do - that is, teach. They don't have to be struggling with management problems, sending kids to the office, and going home in a bad mood every day.
How benefits of ENVoY can become part of the school culture
Training alone doesn't cut it. No matter how good a workshop may be, most teachers forget when they get back to class. Research shows that the single most important factor in getting new skills to actually be used is... coaching. Job-embedded coaching. Supportive, encouraging, non-threatening, skilled coaching.
None of it works, though, without the principal's leadership. The principal's support and high expectations are essential.
The U of H did a year-long assessment of student behavior in seven schools before, during and after ENVoY training and coaching. Dr. Robert Houston analyzed the data and made three main recommendations:
1) Offer ENVoY training to all teachers in a school
2) Provide school-wide implementation support (coaching)
3) Continue program support for three years at each school.
Long term Plan
The ENVoY Coaches Lab prepares outstanding faculty members to be ongoing resources for colleagues in their use of ENVoY. They especially mentor new teachers. Peer coaching is recommended as a proven, effective way to make sure ENVoY skills are used by teachers year after year.
Principals hire new teachers with the understanding that they will be expected to learn and use ENVoY.