Building a Bridge Between Middle School and High School
How to Implement a Bridge Program
June 5 & 6, 2018
Session Descriptions
Session One
A Bridge to Where? Begin with the End in Mind
The middle school bridge program was created as a precursor to the work students will be doing in high school in their Career Choices/My10yearPlan.com® and/or Get Focused...Stay Focused!® program. Therefore, it is vital for all stakeholders to understand where this leads. In this first session, participants will be provided a big picture overview of the Get Focused...Focused!® program model and the importance of the 10-year planning process to life-long success. Then, as they direct or teach this program, they can share with confidence this knowledge with their students when they ask “Why are we learning this?”
Session Two
A Tour of the Workbook & Instructor’s Guide
Along with a review of the contents and resources found in these texts, participants will be exposed to the rationale for the curriculum along with the desired outcomes. They’ll learn about what research tells us about this important time in the early adolescent’s life along with why career exploration is important in middle school. Non-cognitive skills are now being recognized as being as important as the tradition cognitive skills taught in school. Participants will not only learn why but will also gain strategies for teaching these skills. In addition, you’ll review grading and pacing recommendations.
Session Three
Chapters 1 to 6: An Overview and Review of Teaching Strategies
1. Introducing the 10-year planning process
2. Student success: perseverance is as important as brainpower
3. Know thyself
4. Positive self-concept
5. Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life
6. Cultivate a positive attitude towards learning
As participants work through the course materials in session 3 and 4, they will review the learning strategies of the curriculum, include how to use the pre-/post-test and the Vocabulary of Success, teacher modeling of their own experiences, and how to handle topics that might elicit emotional responses. Within the context of the coursework, they will also practice interactive classroom practices, such as read and reflect strategies for deeper learning and instructional strategies for group activities and energizers.
Session Four
Chapters 7 to 12: An Overview and Teaching Strategies
7. Identifying your passions: It’s the first step to finding work that you love
8. Resiliency and overcoming obstacles
9. Beginning your career search
10. Your employability skills
11. Learning from the experts
12. Getting ready for high school/The 6 factors for student success
As participants work through the course materials in session 3 and 4, they will review the learning strategies of the curriculum, include how to use the pre-/post-test and the Vocabulary of Success, teacher modeling of their own experiences, and how to handle topics that might elicit emotional responses. Within the context of the coursework, they will also practice interactive classroom practices, such as read and reflect strategies for deeper learning and instructional strategies for group activities and energizers.
Session Five
Your Students’ Final Product: Checkpoint -- What Are My Next Steps?
Participants will review the final student project, the Action Plan for Entering High School, and will discuss strategies for sharing these plans with faculty on your campus as well as coaching students to share them with their freshman high school instructors. During this session, you’ll also deep-dive into the use of the pacing guides for a variety of course structures.
Session Six
Where Can this Course Fit into Our Master Schedule?
Okay, by this point you are probably an enthusiastic supporter of this course. However, before you can implement it, the above question needs to be answered. In this session, you’ll review a variety of ways this material can be integrated either into existing coursework. The review will also include strategies and the rationale for implementing a new stand-alone class. By the end of this session, each participant will leave with a personalized Action Plan that matches their operational structure.
A Bridge to Where? Begin with the End in Mind
The middle school bridge program was created as a precursor to the work students will be doing in high school in their Career Choices/My10yearPlan.com® and/or Get Focused...Stay Focused!® program. Therefore, it is vital for all stakeholders to understand where this leads. In this first session, participants will be provided a big picture overview of the Get Focused...Focused!® program model and the importance of the 10-year planning process to life-long success. Then, as they direct or teach this program, they can share with confidence this knowledge with their students when they ask “Why are we learning this?”
Session Two
A Tour of the Workbook & Instructor’s Guide
Along with a review of the contents and resources found in these texts, participants will be exposed to the rationale for the curriculum along with the desired outcomes. They’ll learn about what research tells us about this important time in the early adolescent’s life along with why career exploration is important in middle school. Non-cognitive skills are now being recognized as being as important as the tradition cognitive skills taught in school. Participants will not only learn why but will also gain strategies for teaching these skills. In addition, you’ll review grading and pacing recommendations.
Session Three
Chapters 1 to 6: An Overview and Review of Teaching Strategies
1. Introducing the 10-year planning process
2. Student success: perseverance is as important as brainpower
3. Know thyself
4. Positive self-concept
5. Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life
6. Cultivate a positive attitude towards learning
As participants work through the course materials in session 3 and 4, they will review the learning strategies of the curriculum, include how to use the pre-/post-test and the Vocabulary of Success, teacher modeling of their own experiences, and how to handle topics that might elicit emotional responses. Within the context of the coursework, they will also practice interactive classroom practices, such as read and reflect strategies for deeper learning and instructional strategies for group activities and energizers.
Session Four
Chapters 7 to 12: An Overview and Teaching Strategies
7. Identifying your passions: It’s the first step to finding work that you love
8. Resiliency and overcoming obstacles
9. Beginning your career search
10. Your employability skills
11. Learning from the experts
12. Getting ready for high school/The 6 factors for student success
As participants work through the course materials in session 3 and 4, they will review the learning strategies of the curriculum, include how to use the pre-/post-test and the Vocabulary of Success, teacher modeling of their own experiences, and how to handle topics that might elicit emotional responses. Within the context of the coursework, they will also practice interactive classroom practices, such as read and reflect strategies for deeper learning and instructional strategies for group activities and energizers.
Session Five
Your Students’ Final Product: Checkpoint -- What Are My Next Steps?
Participants will review the final student project, the Action Plan for Entering High School, and will discuss strategies for sharing these plans with faculty on your campus as well as coaching students to share them with their freshman high school instructors. During this session, you’ll also deep-dive into the use of the pacing guides for a variety of course structures.
Session Six
Where Can this Course Fit into Our Master Schedule?
Okay, by this point you are probably an enthusiastic supporter of this course. However, before you can implement it, the above question needs to be answered. In this session, you’ll review a variety of ways this material can be integrated either into existing coursework. The review will also include strategies and the rationale for implementing a new stand-alone class. By the end of this session, each participant will leave with a personalized Action Plan that matches their operational structure.