For the 2019-20 academic year, Side by Side was expanded from weekly sessions of approximately 45 minutes in length to monthly sessions consisting of 115 minutes. The longer time frame known as “block-schedule” allowed for deeper conversations to develop and provided students with more time to explore topics. To review objectives and read past programming notes see: Side-by-Side , and past blog entries.
Staffing for the 2019-20 SBS program included two MU students: Malyin Vazquez and Kiara Guzman-Ramos (both alumni of the school district), my colleage Dr. Miriam Witmer, and me.
Below is an overview of the 2019-20 sessions:
Session 1: Orientation – The goal of this session was to inform students about the purpose of Side-by-Side. Students received consent forms, completed the pre-survey, and were given applications for the Color of Teaching mentoring program. A brief Powerpoint presentation was also given.
Session 2: “This is Us” – In this session students reviewed the purpose of the program again, and shared their academic and career interests. Activities included an icebreaker and a getting to know one another game. After receiving a spiral bound notebook, some glue, and old magazines the students created a journal. Each student decorated their notebooks by cutting-out images from old magazines. When finished, the students shared the significance and meaning of their collages. Then, each student wrote down what they believed would be the most beneficial elements of the program for them.
Session 3: “Teacher Skills & Communicate This” – In this session, students were divided into small groups and asked to identify the skill sets necessary for teaching. Using butcher paper, the students jotted down teacher characteristics. Then, using their journals, the students matched traits listed from the butcher paper to traits personal they believed they possessed. Going around the table, each student discussed their traits to the small group. When finished, one person from the small groups presented the overall results to the larger group by explaining each written item. Next, students split into pairs and completed a peer-to-peer teaching activity called Communicate This. In the activity, students view symbols given to them and then instruct (teach) their peers using only verbal commands to draw the same illustration without seeing the original illustration. Later in the activity, students were allowed to ask questions, which showed the power of questioning. Communication is foundational to good teaching.
Session 4: “Different Ways of Knowing” – For this session, students reviewed the admissions criteria for college and discussed high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores. Students also discussed dual enrollment courses and the MU College Readiness Summer Academy. Using their journals, students responded to an essay prompt about college readiness and any activities they are currently pursuing to help get ready for college. They also wrote about personal behaviors or people in their lives that can distract from college and explained why. Students then completed a Myers-Briggs type typology test, and then discussed in a roundtable format why self-awareness is important to life and situations such as dating, telling the truth, self-filling prophecy. The students then discussed self-advocacy and why it is important.
For the 2019-20 academic year, Side by Side was expanded from weekly sessions of approximately 45 minutes in length to monthly sessions consisting of 115 minutes. The longer time frame known as “block-schedule” allowed for deeper conversations to develop and provided students with more time to explore topics. To review objectives and read past programming notes see: Side-by-Side , and past blog entries.
