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Holly Harrison, Breakthrough Manchester
Holly Harrison, Breakthrough Manchester
Submitted by Rosalind Holland on Tue, 07/19/2011 - 13:01
Name: Holly Harrison
Breakthrough Program: Manchester
Subject Teaching: English- Writing
School Attending/Year: Eastern University, Junior
As a teacher at the 4-week STAR-Academy here in Manchester, I’m just planning our fourth and final week with students as well as preparing for our own Closing Ceremony. Because STAR is preparing to take on more of a leadership role in their own educations, the students lead their own conferences, and discuss with their parents areas of challenge and progress, as well as goals they’ve accomplished and others they’re making for the future.
This set-up gives a unique responsibility to each of us teachers as their advisors, as we help the students prepare to step into that new position. We will be asking them to reflect on challenges and accomplishments, as well as the praises and prompts we’ve discussed with them each week during Student Review. I’m really excited with how this actually fits right in with the reflection my students have already done as a part of writing personal essays (college application style!) earlier in the summer. In those papers, they told the story of a challenge they faced, and then analyzed the lesson learned from it, and how that could be applied to the rest of their lives. This sort of introspection and analysis is a huge part of these students being able to take charge of their future educations. If they can effectively reflect on their strengths and challenges in and out of the classroom, they will be better able to advocate for themselves and seek out the help they will need in the future.
The whole idea of students leading this final conference certainly fits into the Breakthrough method. We’ve modeled this sort of reflection and analysis in Student Review every week in the praises, prompts, and action plans discussed… We will lead them through outlining the conference as a sort of guided practice… And finally they will “independently” practice the skill as they lead the discussion at their own conference, with us as teachers alongside to ensure “perfect practice!”