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Teacher Advisory. 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, Nurturing a TA Program, 1992. Teacher Advisory.
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Teacher Advisory 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, Nurturing a TA Program, 1992
Teacher Advisory A TA program makes it possible for students to belong, meets their need to affiliate with a group, and makes caring manageable for a teacher, enabling the teacher to express concern in a personally satisfying way to a small number of individuals.
Teacher Advisory A TA group is ALSO a time structure when items of importance, sometimes unexpected, can be discussed thoroughly by small groups with a higher level of trust and concern than is found in the usual classroom.
Teacher Advisory • Scheduled • Planned • Appropriate and feasible • Supported
Teacher Advisory Appropriate training for caring teachers is the keystone of a successful TA program.
Teacher Advisory “The more the advisor can become a regular member of the group sharing in appropriate activities, the better. The advisor must not, of course, overdo involvement and dominate, but establishing an atmosphere of relative intimacy is essential.” (Hoversten, Doda, and Lounsbury, 1991, p. 7)
Basic Techniques for Advisors • Ask open ended questions. • Reflect students’ thoughts. • Use silence.
Types of Activities • Activities to Build Relationships • Personal concerns of students • Instructional concerns • School concerns • Career Education • Other areas
Reasons Teachers Resist TA Programs Van Hoose (1991), pp. 2-3
Parents do not understand the concept and many may oppose it.
Most teachers have had little formal preparation for service as an advisor.
Advisory takes time—time that many teachers believe could be invested more effectively in preparing to teach their subject(s).
Some teachers do not want to engage in a program that requires personal sharing.
When it is implemented incorrectly and with little staff development and leadership, students do NOT provide positive feedback.
5 Most Common Reasons Advisory Fails • Insufficient planning time before beginning the program • Inadequate preparation of advisors • Incomplete development of topics and activities • Too frequent/too infrequent meetings • Lack of administrative and/or counselor support