You Earn a Gold Star!

Ever since I started working in Independent Studies, I have wanted to implement a spirit of competition for my students. Every student needs to be a little competitive. Competition is what keeps kids on their toes, motivated and goal-oriented.

One way I've wanted to do this is to have students see how they relate to their fellow peers when it comes to credit completion. Unfortunately, I was often told it wasn't a good idea to--essentially--keep a scoreboard. I was told students might end up feeling bad about themselves, they might have major medical or psychological issues that keep them from coming in and therefore keeps them from turning in credits. Lastly, I was told that I can't really have a lot of stuff on or around my desk.

But, I think times are a' changin' at my school because I've implemented a Credit Tracker scoreboard!

I've displayed it for all my students to see. I even got some gold stars for them to use! Here's how it works and how it has worked for my students so far:

• When a student completes a credit, I let them know their grade and then keep all gold stars visible. They put the gold star by their names themselves. 
• It doesn't have to be gold stars, it could be My Little Pony stickers, too.
• Students ask: "where's my gold star?" and have even set goals to beat other students' credits, too.

The Credit Tracker scoreboard

 What do you think? Would you want to try this with your students? 

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Why Reaffirming Goals Works!

So, here's the deal about those goal letters: I was kind of --maybe just maybe --was a goal voyeur. Yup, I peeked at their goal letters before I sealed them and now I know my students' goals. Now, I have the task of reminding them constantly.

Of course, I have to remind them in ways that are sneaky. So, every first week of the learning period, I casually write on their academic plan (a paper defining their monthly progress) goals they can achieve for the month or reminders and words of encouragement. 

We will see how it goes, but so far, students have taken as much liking to it as any student would: with a very meh attitude. Of course, this is on the outside, so maybe on this inside they're happy someone reminds and encourages them of their progress.

In the meantime, I'm thinking about establishing other progress activities. For example, I can make a very large board with my students' names. Each time they earn a credit, they can a put a gold star by their name. It may just instill the spirit of competition. They may also see they're not alone in the progress they're making. 

What do you think? Do you think reaffirming goals works? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Why Emailing Your Student Works!

For those of you in Independent Studies, you're probably very familiar with the concept of a "Learning Period." For those of you who don't know, a "Learning Period" is a period of time with about 18 to 20 school days. In this time frame, students are responsible for turning in a certain amount of credits. If they fail to do so, they can be dropped or be considered truant, depending on the school's policies. 

Well, there's always that one tricky Learning Period. There's either a winter break involved or it's just so short because it's at the end of the school year. 

When there are tricky Learning Periods, that's when we see a drop off in students turning in credits. This is a problem for one very obvious reason: they're slowing themselves down on their path towards graduation.

To fix this problem and to enhance communication, I decided to create an email list of my students and their parents' emails. I sent out emails to those students who didn't have anything turned in for the Learning Period and were on the verge of being dropped. 

Lo and behold, all except one student came in to school and completed credits. That's why emailing works. It's just one more to get the word out and let your students know you're watching out for them and care for their best interest. 

You can check out more reasons why communication and emailing are important here and here!

Have you had success with emailing your students? Let me know in the comments section!

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Top 3 Reasons to Snack!

Snacks: sometimes they're so delicious, we can't stop. I know when I get my hands on some Trader Joe's Baconesque popcorn, I will eat the whole bag. Yes, some snacks have earned a bad rep for being unhealthy, full of calories or full of unnecessary fats. But, sometimes, you need them. Here's why:

1. Your students probably haven't had anything to eat today. Whether we want to believe it or not, sometimes our students haven't eaten by the time they see us. I know of a handful of students whose sole food source is our school. So, healthier snacks like: granola bars, lower-calorie crackers, etc., may be helpful for them.

2. If your student is crabby, it might be because they're hungry. I have lost count of the amount of students who are cranky and spout off an attitude purely because they're hungry. While some are polite enough to ask for a snack, some unfortunately are not. But, if there's ever a cranky kid in your midst, a snack might just deter their attitude.

3.  Snacks are like a gold star. If you spontaneously provide a snack, students feel like you care for their best interests. Of course, they'll never tell you. But, one of the things I strive for is to make school feel safe. This might just be the only safe place your students attend for the day. So, providing a snack is an extra special way to make them feel safe and cared about.

Can you think of any more reasons to snack? Let me know in the comments section below!

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Starting my Goal Letters Project

The idea of having students write goal letters was completely foreign to me. But, I happened to stumble upon the idea somewhere on the interwebs and thought it was a good idea for three reasons:

1. It forces students to think about goals. The population I work with unfortunately have never set goals for themselves. It's as if they think their goals can't even happen so why try.
2. At the end of the year, they can reassess their goals. Students can see if they've met any of their goals throughout the year and plan accordingly for the next year.
3. If I haven't seen a student in about three weeks, I can assume the worst, which is they have decided to drop out. But perhaps, by sending them the letter they wrote, they will remember they do have a lot of goals in life and will decide to come back in. 

So far, students have thought it was "odd" that they were addressing a letter to themselves. However, I showed them a sample of real-life goals I want to achieve by the end of this school year, too! And they realized we're all in this together. 

I'll keep you updated on the goals letter process!

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3 Ways to Close Out Your School Year Right!

If you're an Independent Studies teacher, chances are your school doesn't close during summer.

While Independent Studies may not be traditional, there is still an "end-of-the-year." Your students may graduate, transfer back to a traditional school or may just need the closure to the school year that summer time brings.

A great way to close out the school year for graduates is to discuss their short and long-term goals before they leave. You can also extend the offer to help them with questions/homework, etc. if they go off to college. Sometimes students need that transition.

You can also revisit goals they accomplished or didn't accomplish over the course of the school year. Remind them that this is a new school year and that they can also complete those goals and make new ones.

And my personal favorite: have your continuing students write a new school year letter to themselves. In this letter, have them address it to themselves. They can talk about what they would like to see/do in the new year and goals they want to accomplish. Seal it in an envelope and give it to your student at the end of the year or if they're having a hard time getting into school during the school year. This can be the confidence boost they need to work hard and stay motivated!

What would you like to add to this list?

The Power of Rewording "No"

The other day, I emailed a student about her schedule for state testing.

The truth is: no one likes state testing. But, everyone in school has to do it. Failure to do so can land us all in hot water. So, our school stresses attendance. It is very verY VERY important that our students attend the state testing.

Now, one thing you want to remember as an Independent Studies teacher is that there is more than one way to communicate with your student and that you need to communicate events more than once. There's email, phone, google voice, google voice text, batman signal...You get the gist. You do this to CYA and because students forget stuff all the time. Brains suck sometimes and we've all been there when we forget something very important.

So, I had a student with whom I communicated via email who stated that she was going to be late to one of her state tests. I told her: "no" and "you will need to reschedule with your previous engagement and let them know you have to take this test."


Boy, did I feel like a jerk after that email. She's a good student and she tries very hard to balance her schoolwork with her personal life.

What I should have done was reworded my "No" to her. I could have asked: "Is there any way you can reschedule with your other engagement?" and "Can you tell them that this test is really important for graduating?" By asking her, I put the responsibility back into her hands. Now, not only does she understand I care about her future by saying this test is necessary to graduate, I also show her that she should care about her future. 

Always frame your interactions in a positive light. Some of your students have heard no all their lives. You can change their responses to you and to others by being positive. It's time they take accountability and responsibility for their future while you guide them along their way.

What are some positive phrases and interactions you have used with your students?

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