Summer Freshman Orientation

I got the opportunity to lead/participate in 2 sessions of the Summer Freshman Orientation for my school and it was awesome. Prior to the orientation the planning was interesting because what were we to do with the students for 4 hours and the with the parents that decided to stay. I was able to sit down with administration and brainstorm what they wish prior years freshman knew . Last year was the admins first year at the school so it gave us all a chance to reflect and evaluate. From this we came up with our activities which included some things such as tour of school and programs, expectations for behavior and especially academic planning and success. We even had them play around with different scenarios of what classes they would have to take each year if they failed different courses and how it could effect their graduation year. . This allowed them to see the urgency and high priority of academics.  We also made sure that we built a rapport to assure them that they are not our enemy and we are not theirs. It is essential for students to have a responsible adult outside of their home to turn to and ask for advice.

Working with the administration gave me a outlook on the overall school or overall grade level that as classroom teacher you don't always focus. It was interesting hearing their concerns. As a teacher it tends to be very isolating because your classroom is your territory. It was interesting to have to think about all of the students experiences in all of their classes as well as take into consideration the concerns of their teachers.

The kids were great! I think we have a very focused mature set of 9th graders entering the school this upcoming fall. The questions they asked and the discussions they had proved that their middle school truly prepared them for the high-school environment. LOL we will see how they are half way through the school year.

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