With that mantra in mind we kicked off our new school year with our advisory classes and we have been meeting on a daily basis – first thing in the morning! I was on board with this idea last year, but we didn’t launch it until this fall.
When we started out, we had some structure as to what needed to happen to help guide our advisory students toward a common goal of guiding their academic success. However, much of the planning and implementation in the classroom has been done by individual teachers so that the “flavor” of their advisory is autonomous and staff can feel a sense of ownership of their advisory group. We have a general plan and we can adapt it to fit our individual needs. Monday is organization day; Tuesday is Associated Student Body report day; Wednesday is grade check day; Thursday is reading day and Friday is sharing concerns and successes day.
I have been using the general plan with the addition of inspirational (On character building: opponents carry the home-run hitter around bases) YouTube videos, group sharing and follow-up grade checks. I easily identified the students who would need extra support and created contact lists in our e-mail program of their teachers so I can send out information about these students to help facilitate their academic progress. I have to say that I am really enjoying my group and they are making progress toward their goals.
Having an advisory class every day is going to make this year into a life-changing event for our students. It’s one of the best choices we have made because it puts students first and gives us the chance to help them with their small challenges, before those little problems turn into major obstacles. With this model in place, there should be very few students who “slip between the cracks.” Oakland Bay Junior High School is truly committed to academic, behavioral, and personal character changes– Every One! Every Day!
Pamelia Valentine is a guest blogger and teacher in the Shelton School District.
Previous Blogs:
No Summer Break for School Improvement
School Improvement—Mission Statement Complete