Searching for quality

NEA Today, Nov 1996

Innovator: Paula Wassink Job: A 23-year veteran, Wassink teaches language arts and science at Hamilton Elementary School in southwestern Michigan.

Bright Idea: Disheartened by the messy, unorganized. lackluster work of many of her sixth graders, Wassink developed a nine-week unit to teach the importance of qualityat school and in the world of work.

For the past five years. she's been teaching her students to incorporate "organization, communication, assessment, goal setting, teamwork, and understanding one's learning style and strengths" into everything they do.

To learn organizational skills, kids maintain daily planners. To learn how to define quality, they act as quality control managers, examining different products like toothpaste, sticky notes, and fruit roll-ups.

To establish standards. they develop checklists for each task. When they've done a writing assignment, for example, they must go down the list-punctuation, spelling, topic sentence-before handing it in.

Impact: The course has generated "great improvement in quality and grades." says Wassink. "Kids rise to the standards you set," she adds. Wassink's developed a teacher's manual called Quality in the Classroom (available for $25) and has trained 300 area teachers to use it.

For More: Contact Wassink at Hamilton Elementary School, PO. Box 302, Hamilton, Michigan 49419, 616/751-5413.

Judith Renyi, executive director

National Foundation for the Improvement of Education