Work today was not your regular school day. Each semester we have a day called parent/teacher conference day, so that teachers can talk to the parents of their students, and parents can see how their children are doing in their classes. Today was - and wasn't - one of those days. On a typical parent/teacher conference day, teachers stay in their classrooms and wait for parents to come visit them there. Often teachers have sent notes or calls home to parents they particularly want to see. Some teachers (at least at high school level, where I work) offer bribes to their students in the form of extra credit if they will bring their parents to school to see them.
This was different than that. At GHS - and other schools - teachers have a group of students that they "follow" through their high school careers. They are supposed to help these students decide what classes to take, and help them register for their classes each year for the next year. THAT is what we were doing today. This is my third year doing this "advising" and frankly, I don't really feel adequately trained or qualified to do it. Still, I'm getting better at it. I have, by total chance, a pretty good group of students to watch over. While there has been a certain amount of attrition, they are generally passing their classes. They will be juniors next year, and several of them are taking the offered opportunity to attend the community college for free, and earn some credits. I'm happy that they will do that. It gives them a leg up on credits at no monetary cost to them, AND it lets them have the opportunity to be on a college campus, see themselves in college and successfully through high school. Its a big deal. I talked to some others about AP classes, and honors classes, and really seeing themselves doing some good work at school.
I didn't do a perfect job of it. I couldn't answer every question (but I knew who could). But finally, I think I'm getting a grasp on this advisement thing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Is this what the homeroom thing was all about? I was in on that when it was just starting, and I have to say, I didn't like most of my kids. And I felt totally unequipped to deal with anything more complex than filling out forms anyway. Good for you!
Well, it isn't homeroom. We don't see these students every day, but several times I year. I think I have finally put their faces to their names, after only a year and a half. The training really hasn't been everything you would want, and I still don't feel like I know as much as I should to do right by the kids.
Post a Comment