September 18th - 22nd

This was an extremely exciting week for our YESS scholars! Why? Because they learned who their mentor/mentee partners were! One of my favorite aspects of working with The YESS Institute is the matching process and the kids' responses. That said, here's the breakdown of the week:

Monday, all students completed a questionnaire about themselves. It was a good exercise in self-reflection and important because we used the information when they met their mentors and mentees.

Tuesday was Tutoring Tuesday. The scholars are quickly figuring out that, if they use this time wisely, they have more free time at home. Woohoo!

Scholars working hard on their homework assignments!

On Wednesday, we did a fabulous lesson on personal values. Students were asked to write a PEAL paragraph that demonstrated one "everyday hero" they shared a value with.

A sample of work done as part of our Personal Values lesson.

Thursday was the big day. All week, students had been impatiently waiting for their matches and I was pleased to deliver this information before the long weekend. Happily, I was able to pair most mentees with mentors they chose. In some cases, I spoke with students individually regarding their choices and how they might show more growth with a different person. All-in-all, students walked out looking forward to working with their partners.

There was a lovely staff professional development opportunity on Friday. I got to learn more about Achieve 3000, a computer program that reinforces reading concepts. Additionally, I learned how to effectively utilize Cornell Notes, an AVID strategy, to foster close reading.

September 11th - 15th

Things are starting to settle in over here. I'm awaiting paperwork from a few more mentees, which means we had to postpone our first Mentor/Mentee Monday. Although I'm a little disappointed, I'm confident that we'll begin this important component of YESS next week!

Now for the good stuff. The students completed the Mentoring in the Community lesson on Monday. During this assignment, they work with their cooperative learning groups to develop a fictional community that utilizes mentoring.

Tuesday, we implemented Tutoring Tuesday procedures and many students are learning the importance of reaching out to others for help.

In order to prepare for our Mentor/Mentee Interviews on Thursday, we took a whole day on Wednesday to draft effective questions and prepare our data notebooks. The learning target that most-closely associated with this vital lesson is from the high school level and I was delighted to see the students' responses when I informed them. They seemed to take the lesson even more seriously due to this fact. On Thursday, each mentor had an opportunity to interview each mentee and vice versa. I loved walking around and listening in on their conversations, which were equal parts hilarious (many students value a sense of humor, so they asked their interviewee to tell a joke) and insightful (they were asked to dig deep and communicate their needs). Now, I have the difficult job of pairing them up based on two factors: 1. Finding compatible matches that will complement their strengths and 2. Their requests. They will know who they're partnered with this Thursday, so I've got some work to do!

Sixth Period Interviews

Friday, I challenged the scholars to write persuasive PEAL paragraphs regarding which mentor/mentee they would like to work with. PEAL is the format the school uses to ensure students fully answer an extended response question and, being the beginning of the year, the students struggle. After some scaffolding, nearly all the scholars were able to find success, which means I'll be working with a few kids one-on-one during Tutoring Tuesday tomorrow (we aim for a 100% success rate!). Afterward, we all went to the gym to play Four Corners, a perennial favorite!

September 5th - 8th

Please excuse the tardiness of the post, as I was out of the classroom for a few days and returned this morning.  Last week, we began our wonderful Tutoring Tuesdays. The students were anxious to begin receiving help on their homework and I'm glad to have the time and space to allow it. They did a wonderful job of consistently working on their assignments and I'm looking forward to hosting these tutoring days throughout the year.

On Wednesday and Thursday, they worked on creating Time Capsules, which will be opened at the end of the school year. This is one of the students' favorite activities and I know they'll enjoy opening their capsules in May!

We skipped No Fun Friday, since I was absent. Instead, the scholars created mentoring scenarios that could be implemented in their community. We incorporated multiple school initiatives by "Kagan-izing" the lesson (giving each team member clear responsibilities) and required students to write PEAL (Point, Evidence, Analysis, and Link) paragraphs. I've only just begun looking at their paragraphs and can see a wide range of skills. Part of our Tutoring Tuesday this week will be spent practicing this concept. You can check out one of my favorite examples below - The cars are top-notch!

August 28th - September 1st

I can't believe how quickly we're cruising through the school year already! Our second full week was a busy one.

Monday and Tuesday, we worked on our Coat of Arms project. This is an outstanding opportunity for our scholars to reflect on their lives and illustrate the things that are important to them. Check out one of my favorite examples from one of my favorite scholars!

Wednesday, we honored all the students who had birthdays in June, July, and August. I brought cookies and many students supplemented with their own treats! When everyone had eaten their snack, we played "Pin the Head on the YESS Logo" (my special version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey). The kids had a great time!

Thursday was busy in class and after school. In YESS, we discussed the definition of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and how the events in our world could be affected by SEL concepts. Back-to-School Night took place in the evening and was mighty fun. I always enjoy meeting our scholars' families!

Friday, we participated in a fun team builder that challenges students to stack plastic cups in various formations. The hardest one was to put all six cups one on top of the other. A couple teams were able to get five, but gravity got the better of them.

I'll be gone on Monday, the 11th, so tune in on the 12th for our newest edition!

August 15th - 25th

We're off and rolling at Scott Carpenter! Over the summer, I was able to move to a lovely new classroom and the kids are loving the new space. In our time together, we've already accomplished many things: Learning names, refining classroom procedures, practicing mindful breathing, and more! Take a look below to see what we've been up to.

The first week, we completed numerous ice breakers. Some of the kids' favorites were the Ball Toss Game, which challenged students to really learn their peers' names, and The Great Wind Blows, a classic game that demonstrates our commonalities.

In addition to all that, we discussed the concept of community by using the metaphor of a web and participated in a demonstration that actually had us create a web. Our scholars chatted about how each of us holds a piece of the web and that it gets weaker when someone drops their responsibility. Once that idea sunk in, we worked collaboratively to create our Classroom Shared Agreements. I was really impressed with how well the students did this and I know we're going to have a great year because of the groundwork they've laid.

Our 5th period community

Last Friday, we held elections for our Classroom Presidents! All the candidates delivered speeches that were in tune with their classmates' desires and some even created posters or hired campaign managers. I can't wait to announce the winners today!

Campaigning is serious business

May 22nd - 25th

I can't believe we've marked another school year off the calendar! We had a lovely final week, full of love, kindness, and...waffles! The kids really love sharing meals together, so we made delicious waffles, complete with all the trimmings. The mentors exhibited the notion of leadership through service and led the charge in setting everything up, serving their mentees, and even cleaning after the party was over!

We also awarded students in each class with certificates that honor students' unique talents. The scholars voted on awards for the kindest student, class clown, best advice giver, hardest worker, and most improved for each class. I absolutely adore recognizing students who work hard throughout the year and the students are extremely supportive of their peers.

 

On the last day of school, some of the YESS students showcased their talents in the annual talent show! Kim danced, Makenzie performed a gymnastics routine, and Jasmine and Geyonni sang a beautiful song! Because we didn't have classes that day, the students left little notes and drawings on my white board earlier in the week. I always treasure the students' sweet mementos and will miss this great group of kids over the summer!

May 15th - 19th

This week didn't feel like a typical, five-day week! It flew by! We had our final Mentor/Mentee Monday and discussed ways to end the year on a positive note. The mentors decided we should have a waffle party and they're looking forward to their treats. Later, we continued the fine tradition of Tutoring Tuesday and even expanded it into Work-a-holic Wednesday. Many students have final projects and I was proud of their efforts, despite it being so close to the end of the year. Thursday and Friday were filled with team-oriented games that got the kids moving and having fun!

We also hosted our third annual End of Year Celebration at Westy High School on Wednesday! We had several scholars speak to the crowd and they were marvelous. I was especially moved by Faith Padilla's personal account of how YESS helped her become a model citizen. Her story of how she matured from a mischievous elementary student to a motivated, successful student was inspiring. I'm going to miss her when she heads to high school, but I'm honored to have been a part of her life for three years!