Advisor-Advisee Activities for the Classroom: A presentation at the National Middle School Association, Minneapolis,

1. Advisor-Advisee Activities for the Classroom: A presentation at the National Middle School Association, Minneapolis, MNNovember 4-6, 2004 Dr. Nancy Bell Ruppert UNC-Asheville

2. Objectives Identify what AA is, is not, goals, and how to schedule activities Identify the social, emotional, physical and intellectual characteristics of adolescents Participate in AA activities and brainstorm ways to integrate them into units Develop steps to integrate AA into your classroom

3. Advisor-Advisee is ... A Place to Belong A Place to be Known A Place to have Needs met Based on social and emotional characteristics Planned A place to belong... The purpose of advisory is to ensure that every student is well known by at least one adult in a middle level school. (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989) ... "could be defined as: an organizational structure in which one small group of students identifies with and belongs to one educator, who nurtures, advocates for, and shepherds through school the individuals in that group" (Cole, 1992, p. 5) ... " an (AA) program makes it possible for students to belong, meets their need to affiliate with a group, makes caring manageable for a teacher, enabling the teacher to express concern in a personally satisfying way to a small number of individuals" (p. 7). ... based on the developmental characteristics of middle level students (physical, moral, social, service) Whatever happens is scheduled, planned, appropriate and feasible and supported by the administration and the faculty (p. 11). A place to belong... The purpose of advisory is to ensure that every student is well known by at least one adult in a middle level school. (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989) ... "could be defined as: an organizational structure in which one small group of students identifies with and belongs to one educator, who nurtures, advocates for, and shepherds through school the individuals in that group" (Cole, 1992, p. 5) ... " an (AA) program makes it possible for students to belong, meets their need to affiliate with a group, makes caring manageable for a teacher, enabling the teacher to express concern in a personally satisfying way to a small number of individuals" (p. 7). ... based on the developmental characteristics of middle level students (physical, moral, social, service) Whatever happens is scheduled, planned, appropriate and feasible and supported by the administration and the faculty (p. 11).

4. Advisor-Advisee is not ... An extended homeroom A time for teacher, parent, or student bashing Free time A counseling session

5. Advisor-Advisee Goals Advocacy Academic guidance and support Belonging activities Communication practice Administration (information) Ownership/Responsibility Recognition Citizenship (Stevenson, 1998)

6. Possible Activities

7. AA Formats: The Schedule Approach Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 1. The Schedule Approach:Monday - Silent Reading (personal choice)��� Tuesday - Getting to Know You activities (Week 1: the Armour; Week 2: The Time Line; Week 3: Interest inventory; Week 4: I am Thumbody Wednesday - Themes "Goal Setting" Week 1: What are goals, Week 2: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens; Week 3: Set personal and academic goals; Week 4: Examine the goals. Thursday - Journal Writing (Week 1: What if there were no schools? Week 2: When I grow up...; Week 3: The best thing about school...; Week 4: Characteristics of a friend - this will lead into next month's theme of "Getting along with one another." Friday - Class discussion (Week 1: Organization; Week 2: Studying for tests and doing homework; Week 3: How our goals match our interests; Week 4: Being a good friend. 1. The Schedule Approach:Monday - Silent Reading (personal choice)���

8. AA Formats: The Theme Approach Monthly Themes Study Strategies Topic 2. The Theme Approach: Each month a new theme is addressed through AA. This may be something that they whole team decides to do together. Such themes as: Getting to Know You Goal Setting Responsibility Service Interpersonal Relationships Learning Styles 2. The Theme Approach: Each month a new theme is addressed through AA. This may be something that they whole team decides to do together. Such themes as: Getting to Know You Goal Setting Responsibility Service Interpersonal Relationships Learning Styles

9. AA Formats: Project Approach Mentoring Service Learning Technology 3. The Project Approach: This approach to working with AA introduces a project that students can work on together. Some possibilities: Tutoring younger children Create crafts for a local nursing home Make cards for the bus drivers or support personnel in the school (cafeteria or secretaries) Bulletin board awareness advertising Digital imaging 3. The Project Approach: This approach to working with AA introduces a project that students can work on together. Some possibilities: Tutoring younger children Create crafts for a local nursing home Make cards for the bus drivers or support personnel in the school (cafeteria or secretaries) Bulletin board awareness advertising Digital imaging

10. AA Formats: Mixed Bag Approach 4. The Mixed Bag Approach: There are some teachers who prefer to create a variety of activities. Some parts of the week may be very structured (silent reading every Monday and Friday) and other parts of the week change. The key is to work with the team of teachers. When students on the same team are doing the same projects, there is more team building that takes place. I have worked with some teams where one teacher comes up with the activities one week and shares these with the team mates. I have also seen teams work together to lay out the plans for the 6 weeks or 9 weeks. 4. The Mixed Bag Approach: There are some teachers who prefer to create a variety of activities. Some parts of the week may be very structured (silent reading every Monday and Friday) and other parts of the week change. The key is to work with the team of teachers. When students on the same team are doing the same projects, there is more team building that takes place. I have worked with some teams where one teacher comes up with the activities one week and shares these with the team mates. I have also seen teams work together to lay out the plans for the 6 weeks or 9 weeks.

11. Who are the children we are working with? Adolescent Development� taken from This We Believe, NMSA, 2003.

12. Physical Bodies are changing Maturity levels are related to hormones Sexual awareness heightens Need, but don�t always get, physical exercise Need good nutrition, often eat junk food Engage in risky experimentation

13. Social Need to belong Are in search of their own identity Lack social skills and prefer interaction with peers Experiment with new slang and behaviors Want to make their own decisions Are fad conscious Desire recognition Are socially vulnerable

14. Emotional Experience mood swings Are concerned about peer acceptance Lack self-esteem and are highly sensitive to criticism Believe that personal problems are unique to themselves Are psychologically vulnerable Tend to be self-consciousTend to be self-conscious

15. Intellectual Are moving from concrete to abstract Are intensely curious about the world and themselves Prefer active learning experiences Interested in real-life situations Are often preoccupied with self (75% of 11th graders are at the concrete stage)(75% of 11th graders are at the concrete stage)

16. Moral Have compassion See shades of gray View inconsistencies of values seen Are developing their own personal values Are generally idealistic Often show compassion for those who are downtrodden or suffering Are developing their own personal values Rely on parents and significant adults for advice when facing major decisions Assess moral matters in shades of gray Are quick to see flaws in others but slow to acknowledge their own faults Greatly need and are influenced by adult role models who will listen to them and affirm their moral consciousness and actions Are aware of and concerned about inconsistencies between values exhibited by adults and the conditions they see in society Are generally idealistic Often show compassion for those who are downtrodden or suffering Are developing their own personal values Rely on parents and significant adults for advice when facing major decisions Assess moral matters in shades of gray Are quick to see flaws in others but slow to acknowledge their own faults Greatly need and are influenced by adult role models who will listen to them and affirm their moral consciousness and actions Are aware of and concerned about inconsistencies between values exhibited by adults and the conditions they see in society

17. Take What You Know About Advisor-Advisee About Adolescents� Needs � to integrate advisor-advisee activities into the regular part of your day.

18. Our Task Participate in AA Activities Determine writing prompts for each Come up with a unit design

19. Some Activities My Time Line Hall of Fame So Long Wishes A Cure 33 The ability 9 One million dollars 21 Career 12 Famous 4 Youthful long life 8 Perfect health 27 24 hours with anyone 15 A trip anywhere 3A Cure 33 The ability 9 One million dollars 21 Career 12 Famous 4 Youthful long life 8 Perfect health 27 24 hours with anyone 15 A trip anywhere 3

20. My Time Line Draw a horizontal line on your paper Mark your birthday on one end Mark a wavy line � of the way down your line

21. Time Line Continued�

22. Time Line Continued� In your life, identify five things in your past that represent �change.� (something that changed your life)

23. Journal Prompt? Brainstorm writing ideas that could be a part of this activity

24. Brainstorm ways to use books with this theme�

25. Hall of Fame Choose five people (famous or not famous) to put in your very own Hall of Fame You may not choose more than one person from any one category

26. Hall of Fame Continued� What are the characteristics of the people you chose?

27. Hall of Fame Continued What are the common characteristics?

28. Hall of Fame Continued What journal prompts could you use?

29. Hall of Fame Continued� How could you integrate Adolescent Literature Interviewing techniques Parents Community Technology

30. When Developing a Unit Choose AA Activities that support Adolescent Issues (Health, Relationships�) Adolescent Needs (Personal, Social, Emotional�) Identify a theme Journal prompts (DOL ideas) Children�s literature Projects to illustrate understanding

31. A Unit on China Interdisciplinary units can include AA activities. What texts are you using? What other information is out there? How can you relate characters or events to the children? What writing activities and projects can be associated with the unit?

32. AA Activities for a unit on China A Time Line of our lives� �What is our destiny? And how will we get there?� Literature Circles on the Guiya, China Zen Lessons Fung Shui Goal Setting

33. Day 1:Title: Time Line The Goal of this activity is to look at the things that influence our lives. Objective: SW create a timeline that shares 10 memorable events that have shaped their lives and will dream about events that may take place in the future. Anticipatory Set: �What is a timeline?� Share your timeline. Use a timeline to illustrate historical developments in China.

34. Day 2Title Guiya, China* Goal: To teach students about literature circles and to have them share their views of what it means to throw things away. Objective: TLW read stories 1-5 and discuss how these events are similar to their lives Anticipatory Set: �How many of you would like to make lots of money?� �Is there a price for making lots of money?� �What if what you did hurt other people?� Would you want to continue to make money that way?� Activities: Place students into 5 groups. Have each group read one of the stories. In the group have a reader, an illustrator, a summary guide, a connector and a map maker. Have students discuss the readings and share their roles. Closure: Relate the students� ideas and stories to drug dealers of today.

35. Day 3: Zen Lessons �During the Tang period some of the most influential men and women on earth studied Zenon a par with some of the humblest and most obscure men and women on earth. Zen introduced a revolution in social practice that maintained its energy through centuries of opposition and corruption, and provided one of the only historical forums for unbiased social understanding as ell as spiritual understanding. Zen also influenced painting and poetry, two of the most important of Chinese arts, traditionally used for emotional education and therefore of great social significance�� and �Zen establishments were originally set up to free people from the poisons of greed, aggression, and ignorance that ordinarily afflice individuals and societies to greater or lesser degrees and do not allow humankind to attain complete practical understanding of its real destiny.� (xvi) These lessons were compiled in the early twelfth century by two outstanding Chinese Zen masters, Miaoxi (better known as Dahui) and Zhu-an. It was first published in Japan in 1279. Zen Lessons is a unique part of the enormous body of Song dynasty Chan Buddhist lore that still exists in written form.

36. Zen Lessons Continued� I have selected five Zen Lessons to begin the day. Each group is to read each of the lessons and talk about what they mean. Choose one lesson to interpret for the class. As you talk about these lessons, ask your classmates to share what their view of each of the topics is prior to reading the passage. Ask them if anyone in their family has ever given them advice on the topics.

37. Zen Lesson 1 36 Decisions Huitang said: It is essential to leadership that one should take the far-reaching and the great, and leave off the shortsighted and the petty. If a matter remains stubbornly unresolved, one should consult seasoned and mature people, and if there is still doubt one should question the knowledgeable. Then even if there is something unfinished, still it will not be too much. In, on the other hand, leaders like to give free play to their own personal feelings and take or give solely by themselves, one day they will run afoul of the schemes of petty people. Whose fault is this? So it is said, �Planning is with the many, decision is done alone.� By planning with the group, one can examine the ultimate effect of benefit or harm; by deciding oneself, one can determine right and wrong for the community

38. Zen Lesson 2 42. Make the Way Wide Huanglong said to the great statesman Wang Anshi: Whatever you set your mind to do, you always should make the road before you wide open, so that all people may traverse it. This is the concern of a great man. If the way is narrow and perilous, so that others cannot go on it, then you yourself will not have any place to set foot either.

39. Zen Lesson 3 51 Don�t Rush Ying Shaowu said to Master Zhenjing Wen: Whatever is rushed to maturity will surely break down early. Whatever is accomplished in a hurry will surely be easily destroyed. What is done without making consideration for the long run, and is hastily finished, is not of a far-reaching and great character.

40. Zen Lesson 4 56. Advice to a King Zhenjing said to the king of Shu: In your daily activities, vigorously carry out whatever is right and put a firm stop to whatever is wrong. You should not change your will on account of difficulty or ease. If because of today�s difficulty you shake your head and pay no heed, how can you know that another day it will not be as hard as today?

41. Zen Lesson 5 121. Energy and Will Xuetang said: When students� energy is greater than their will, they become small, petty people. When their will maters their energy, they become upright, true people. When their energy and their will are equal, they become enlightened sages. ** These lessons were taken from Zen Lessons: The Art of Leadership, translated by Thomas Cleary, 1989, Barnes and Noble Books

42. Day 4: Fung Shui Fung Shui ***� it means wind/water. It is the part of ancient Chinese Taoism that is concerned withhow objects affect energy and how that energy affects your life. Chi (pronounced chee) is the Chinese name for energy. You are a high expression of chi energy. When something gets your attention, chi energy is being drawn there.

43. Day 4 Continued Clutter has an immediate and drastic stagnating effect upon chi. Places with dusty unused clutter that have been around for decades are abut as energetically healthy as a fetid swamp. If your clutter is severe, take some severe measures. Everything you own is connected to you energetically. If it is used on a regular basis, it�s holding you back and weighing you down. Feng shui emphasizes purging clutter because the effect is so immediately liberating.

44. Day 4 Continued Today we will look at the Chi of our classroom and of our lockers and of our rooms at home. Describe how it feels when you have cleaned your room and it is neat, orderly and clean. Describe how your locker or your notebook usually looks. Today is de-clutter day. We need to de-clutter our lockers and our book bags and our notebooks so that we can improve the Chi.

45. Suggested Sites Suggested Sites: http://www.nmsa.org/moya/moya_2004/callforart2004.htm What I�d do if I were a teacher Good advice an adult has given me My ideas about why so many different people/cultures are apparently unable to co-exist peacefully � and what they might be able to do about it Questions that are on my mind a lot MOYA topics will be available in early December

46. Suggested Sites Continued The Noonday Project http://www.ciese.org/currichome.html CIESE sponsors and designs interdisciplinary projects that teachers throughout the world can use to enhance their curriculum through compelling use of the Internet. We focus on projects that utilize realtime data available from the Internet, and collaborative projects that utilize the Internet's potential to reach peers and experts around the world. Below is a catalog of projects that are currently being or have been sponsored by CIESE . Each project has a brief description and links to the National Science Standards and NCTM math standards it supports. Look at The Noonday Project from the standpoint of writing

47. Suggested Sites An Interdisciplinary Unit on China http://www.unca.edu/~nruppert/middle_grade_unit_on_china.htm

48. Final Thoughts� As language arts teachers, we have the potential to lead our colleagues in the quest � to provide our young people with opportunities to develop the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening by focusing on the social and emotional needs of adolescents.

49. I challenge you to lead the way�

50. Thanks and have a great conference.