GWC 500-24 Establishing a Successful Transition for Freshmen

Event Sponsor: *

Century High School/Bismarck Public Schools

Event Contact Name: *

Mary Palmer

Position or Title: *

Instructional Coach

Event Contact Phone: *

(701) 223-4145

Event Contact Email: *

mary_palmer@bismarckschools.org

Event Location: *

Century High School

Event Start Date: *

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Event End Date: *

Friday, July 30, 2021

Objective and Outcomes: *

To understand the needs of students transitioning to high school.
To establish an understanding and belief in the power of collective efficacy.
To make changes as teachers to better meet those needs.
To establish teacher clarity as one way to build confidence, trust, and motivation within our classrooms.
To apply specific strategies to build relational capacity with our incoming freshmen.
To focus on the power of process note-making as a means for learning how to learn and organizing thought.
To have an established plan ready to implement when we greet our 2021-22 freshmen.

Resources/Course Materials: *

AVID coaches and teachers.
AVID resources for building relational capacity, process note-taking, and metacognition
Engagement by Design: Chapter 3 -- Clarity

Attendance: *

Paper/pencil sign in when face to face, documentation of hours and work produced for independent time

Evaluation and Evidence of Learning and Application: *

After this learning and application of this learning, we will see teachers using one-page unit guides with students to establish teacher clarity (what we are learning, how we will learn, why we are learning, and how we will know we are headed toward success questions as our guide).
We will also see teachers deliberately choosing relationship building strategies. Along with those two moves, we will also expect to see teachers explicitly teaching process note-taking, helping our new high school learners understand how to take notes and use notes to make meaning and organize thinking.
If we can do all of these things well, we expect to see an easier transition for our incoming students as well as fewer behavior issues and increased learning.