Schwarzkoff Elementary students recently attended an assembly where three students were in a skit about iQ – not the intelligence quotient that typically comes to mind when the two letters are paired together, but iQ: Be More Happy. Developed by teachers in collaboration with the school’s wellness team, Schwarzkoff utilizes the positive behavior model as a way for students to solve problems on their own, when possible.
One actor in the skit was 6th grader Nathan (Salha) Tobia who explained Cougar Character UCS Empowered is a short play to help the kids.
“My sister is out there somewhere, and I want to teach her how to be nice, respectful, and help other kids,” Tobia said.
In the skit, Tobia and 6th grader Christina Keqaj’s characters help 5th grader Paul Irvine’s character who is new to Schwarzkoff become acquainted with the school, specifically the iQ model.
iQ: Be More Happy is an acronym for:
- I – IGNORE things that don’t cause a wave of strong emotion
- Q – QUESTION: Ask what and how, not why
- B – Set BOUNDARIES: Let others know your triggers
- M – MOVE AWAY to make space
- H - Get HELP: After trying IQBM, ask for help
Characterizing the iQ model as a tool, Schwarzkoff media center teacher, Holly Schomaker, said the staff have really come on board with it.
“We can use the same iQ prompts to help the students, so we aren’t always the ones handling the problem, the students are able to,” said Schomaker.
“This year we’ve expanded it to tie the iQ model with UCS Empowered,” explained Schwarzkoff Principal Amber Fante. “It’s the idea of empowering our students at UCS to solve their own problems which will make them a more powerful person.”
