There is a lot of success coaching going on at St. Rita Elementary School in Sierra Madre --- in large part because its principal believes that there is more than one way to teach a student.

"We must respect that children learn differently," says Joanne Harabedian, who has a Master's Degree in Child Development. "This is not a burden; it's a wonderful opportunity to touch children and unlock the key to allowing them to learn."

Children, she continues, have different needs and no child is innately lazy or wants to fail. "We must look at each child as an individual," she maintains. "If a child is not ready to learn something, he just won't get it. You can't push a child --- you must let him or her grow into a skill."

At St. Rita's the belief is that the family is the primary educator of children, so the school works closely with its families. And the staff focuses on what will work for a particular child, what will bring success. If one thing doesn't work, it's okay --- they will try something else.

For example, a child might have a wonderful vocabulary and an imaginative mind, but may be reluctant to write because of her difficulty with fine motor skills. This child would be encouraged to speak her ideas into a tape recorder and then listen back, reaffirming her wonderful gift for language.

Recently a child had a problem completing homework. So the teacher made homework not be an issue. In other words, the child was told he did not need to do the homework! Now, homework was no longer a battle at home and the family's stress went way down.

(In our LearningSuccess™ model, this is called, "Taking the Pressure Off." When you take the pressure off, wonderful things always happen, as was the case with this child.)

"He's learning himself that he does need some practice and that there are advantages of doing some homework," says Harabedian. "He's starting to understand cause and effect, and this is a far better concept to learn than learning how to multiply. Multiplying is not as important in the big picture of life."

Students at St. Rita are allowed to take pre-tests to see what's on the test and what will be expected of them. Harabedian explains that this is just like when you take a trip and you find out the route you're going to take.

"Testing is just a tool for teachers to see how well they're teaching," she continues. "Students can re-take the test --- it's not just a one-shot chance to pass or fail. This eliminates test anxiety."

You might recall that I've mentioned in previous articles that safety is the number one requirement for real learning to take place. At St. Rita's, a big goal is to provide a safe nurturing environment.

"Kids leave understanding that the teachers love them very much," says Harabedian. "It's a joyous experience --- their spiritual foundation.

"You know the year you felt like a million bucks or the year you felt awful. That's why we're here --- it's not an obligation. It's an opportunity to help them grow into the persons they want to be and need to be."

It seems to me that this is a school that truly allows the Spirit of God to speak to students through teachers and staff. The message is clear: "You are special, you are gifted; you are loved. Take your gift into the world and love others with it."

Thank you to Ms. Harabedian and the staff of St. Rita for focusing on bringing success to every child!

©2008 by Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis is a California credentialed teacher and holds a Master's Degree in Special Education. She is co-author, with Victoria Kindle Hodson, of "Discover Your Child's Learning Style" (Random House) and "Midlife Crisis Begins in Kindergarten." For many years a Master Catechist for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, she attends Mission San Buenaventura.