Advisory Groups
Abstract:Chapter 12 focuses specifically on the idea of advisor-advisee groups within the middle school setting. These groups are on average 10-15 students and one teacher. The groups can meet anywhere from a daily basis to once a month depending on the school. The purpose of advisory groups is allow a small group of students the chance to interact with and adult for guidance on a regular basis, as well as to create a safe, supportive environment(146). Wormelli also focuses on specific days where students do not have class, but instead participate in activities with their advisory. These activities cover a variety of tasks, from community service projects, physical activities, reflections, and social activities. Wormelli suggests moving away from the daily model and focusing more specifically on weekly group meetings. He also feels that building a strong and successful advisory group will benefit middle schoolers very strongly.
Reflection:
The class as a whole feels that these types of advisory groups are keep to help the students become successful. It allows them to develop strong bonds, as well as a time to seek the help of an adult. We also were big fans of the advisory days specifically the physical and service activities. The class felt that by completing community service it helped strengthen the school and community bond. Several people were hesitant to the idea because of previous failed attempts, but they felt that if done properly advisory can be a meaningful experience. The activities need to be meaningful to both the teachers and the students to make the advisory activities successful. The teacher also need to be trained in ways to successfully advise students. The big class debate happened over when to work advisory into the schedule, as well as the advisory days. There was no definite conclusion.
16 comments:
I really liked the website that contained all of the advisory links. I clicked on the 10 Q&A's link and found a really useful article on some major questions that someone would have about advisories, like what time of day is best to hold them. I would definitely look at this site again and am adding it to my del.icio.us account.
So, I LOVE the website with all of the advisory links. There is one in particular, "Whassup in the classrom?" that I find interesting and amazing. A teacher surveyed her students and parents about their advisory groups and got feedback. It links to a site that allows you to create surveys for a variety of purposes, including ones you can use in your classroom. AWESOME.
Excellent job on your blog, John. Both link had a lot of good information about advisory groups that is useful. Having advisory groups is something I have not thought a whole lot about but these links make think more about it. Great find.
The advisory website was very informative and resourceful for pre-service teachers. I particularly liked the question and answer section because I appreciated the flexibility and frankness of Mr. Burns' responses. They seem sensible, practical, and helpful for students to learn and teachers to build a strong, positive rapport with the students.
I really like the powerpoint because it combined everything that we have said! It really shows how effective advisories can be. I also like your other links because they are really good resources for us to use and look at. I like how you have a mix of resources. You have research too! Great job!
I agree about the concern all of us have voiced about advisory times not being as meaningful and useful as they can be. You're link about advisory seems like a very good source of information to make advisory times more beneficial and worthwhile. I really like the 10 Questions and Answers for Quality Advising link, very helpful. Great links.
I liked the first article. I'm a person who likes to have a lot of resources, and I like how the article has so many different sites and answers so many questions that I might have about an advisory period. I liked the themes for each grade and day of the week it gave under the first link. They might not be the same themes I would use, but it's a great example and gives me a much better understanding of advisory periods.
Good work on the blog. The link to Middle Web is awesome; I especially like the Q&A aspect these are some of the questions that were addressed: What is the best time of day for advisory? What is the ideal length for advisory sessions, and the best group size? Does research indicate connections between advisory and improved student performance? This is a good place to gain information for our new middle school.
The 10 Questions document could be really helpful for a lot of schools because it answers some important questions in short bursts. It is also powerful to know that advisory does lead to better test scores, since our schools seem to be dictated by them today.
I love the idea of using advisory groups in our school. We didn't use them in my middle school and after looking at the links and reading this chapter I really wish that we had used them. There are so many upsides for the students when teacher advisory groups are formed.
i really enjoyed the first website because i think that it gives a good starting point for advising times. It gives a lot of answers to questions that teachers/advisors might have when first starting out or how to improve the quality of their advising time. The powerpoint is really good. It gives a lot of information to think about during the process of advising.
by: Angela L.
The powerpoint is great. I like that it builds a case for advisor groups. If middle schools do not have advisor/advisee time, this powerpoint proves how important they are.
You did a great job of summarizing the chapter and our thoughts on it as a class. Your website on advisory groups will prove to be a great resource for us as we attempt to create our school. It's interesting that you and Audra both used the NMSA website; it just reiterates its usefulness as a resource. The powerpoint is quite a find -another excellent resource. Great job, John.
I really liked the website about advisory periods. In most schools they're such a waste of time, and young adolescents could really use the support from their advisor. The tips and links are really helpful.
The PowerPoint that John found made a few great points about advising. The quote that discusses that each student should be well known by at least one adult in the school is a very important part of a middle school aged students life. At the middle school level I believe that students need the comfort of a relationship with an adult in the school. The PowerPoint states that grades became higher, and self esteem increased. At middle school level, students are very vulnerable and I believe that having this adult influence will help students in a major way.
Post a Comment