Aspirations Best Practices
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Click the Condition to view student and staff Aspirations Best Practices submitted by educational practitioners.
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At one school we worked in the entire staff--teachers, administrators, custodians, secretaries, etc.--signed up on a rotating schedule to greet students at the door each morning as they were dropped off. There was a fifteen minute window for doing this, each adult in the building had to do it just 4 times over the course of the school year, and the schedule was known far in advance. It created such a welcoming and friendly start to the day and really developed a sense of Belonging in that school. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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Belonging
Students feel a sense of Belonging when they feel appreciated for who they are as individuals. While positive verbal communication is critical, written communication provide students with something concrete that they can reflect on and hold on to. Students have held on to their papers from the following activity long after they left the classroom doors for summer vacation: Hand out a complete class list, with room for a compliment to be written next to each student's name. Have every student record a specific compliment for each classmate. Encourage students to think about each individual and what makes him or her unique: Is it a particular interest or talent? Is it how he is a respectful friend to all peers or has a positive attitude in class? It is important to emphasis that every student is expected to write a genuine compliment for every classmate. You may let students know that the compliments will be anonymous. Collect the completed sheets and compile the compliments so that each student's compliments are on a single page, without any reference to who wrote each one. Hand out the compliment sheets and allow students quiet time to read, absorb, and appreciate their own valued qualities. Pay special attention to where the papers are placed after they are read. Bet you'll see them carefully folded and tucked away in a safe spot a tangible treasure that lets students know they are valued.
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Submitted by Terry Young (C.K. Burns) |
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In one high school the English teacher varied her required course reading depending upon who was in her class. She would ask students from different ethnic backgrounds to suggest a "classic" reading from related to their ethnicity. The teacher said the students not only learned about different forms of literature they also truly developed a new level of appreciation and understanding of their peers. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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At one our demonstration sites in Albion NY the students and staff wanted to help transfer students feel more welcomed at their school. This particular school had students transferring throughout the school year. A group of students and teachers developed the idea of a "Welcome Backpack" The students made a video of their school and the important things and people new students should know. The backpack also had pencils and other school supplies. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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Many teachers tell us that they cannot get to sporting or performing arts events because they have their own families to deal with after school or on weekends. One great Heroes best practice is to drop in to practices or rehearsals. Fifteen minutes spent under a hoop feeding foul shots back to some students, 20 minutes with a mitt on throwing a softball around at a practice, 10 minutes listening to the school jazz band rehearse their upcoming concert can go a long way to showing your students you care about what they are interested in and are good at outside of your classroom. Teachers who do this tell us they have fewer discipline issues and even better academic work from their students. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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Hero Wall. The entrance to a high school in Maine has a huge display case titled "Our Heroes" In the case are stories and pictures of graduates. The stories range from tales of valor from the battlefields to students who dropped out of high school and then completed their GEDs. The case makes two points to visitors- our school is full of heroes and heroes come in all shapes, sizes and forms. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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To demonstrate respect several high school teachers we work with mention that they learn all their students names and one thing about them within the first two weeks of school. The teachers take pictures of the students and let the students decide one important thing the teacher should know in order to help them as learners. The teachers told us that it is so easy to do with camera and computer cameras. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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One of our Aspirations Teams had the school custodian on the team. When he learned that Sense of Accomplishment was about recognizing and rewarding students for being good citizens of the school he had an idea that would help him and foster this Condition. He created an award called "The Golden Broom." He took an old push broom and spray painted it gold. He had himself invited into every classroom, taking the broom with him. He told the students that, as they already knew, they were expected to make sure the classrooms were picked up at the end of the school day. No books on the floor, chairs on the desks, large scraps of paper picked up, etc. Each day as he made his rounds to sweep and mop the classrooms, he would decide which classroom was in the best condition in preparation for his work. He would hang The Golden Broom on that classes door to show that they had done the best job. This worked so well and the students were so excited by it, they asked if he would create The Golden Rake award for their efforts to keep the playground and area outside of the school clean as well! |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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Service Learning opportunities are among the best programs we have seen for promoting Leadership & Responsibility and Confidence to Take Action. Students really learn to make a difference in their communities. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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One of the best examples of sense of accomplishments involves using portfolios so students can review their learning over the course of a semester or year. Portfolios allow students the rare opportunity to realize that learning is about more than test scores - learning is about growth. Students who perhaps do not get the best scores are able to see that they have learned, persevered and put forth effort over the school year. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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A K-8 school developed "May, I Go Outside." In the month of May (it can be done in any month), they located a calendar in a central location for teachers to sign up for one of two outdoor spaces on their grounds: a playground with a swing set and a lawn area on the side of the building. Teachers were challenged to come up with two lessons that integrated these spaces and their curriculum and hold the class outside some time during the month.
They couldn't just go sit on the lawn and read instead of sit on the carpet and read. They had to be using the outside environment educationally in some way. A math teacher had her students count the chains on one swing set and then multiply by the number of swings to get the total number of links. And so on with tires on cars, rows of flowers, links in fence, bricks on the side of the building, etc. A language arts class about poetry was about writing poems about what they observed outside. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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A teacher in one of our schools is introducing the 8 Conditions to the whole building with a regular installment of "Are You Smarter Than an Elementary School Student?" This installment is about Fun & Excitement. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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We practice coin recognition and value by taping plastic coins of different denomination in egg cartons. The students then took turns in teams to toss balls into the egg carton compartments. Where the ball landed they had to name the coin and tell its value. They wrote the name and value on a sticky note above the cartons. The team with them most correct coins and values won. They love it! |
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Submitted by Elizabeth Ring (River Forest) |
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Co-teaching lessons is a great way to engage students. In one 10th grade class the teacher developed a weekly rotating schedule where students took turns being the co-teacher. The student would plan lessons and delivery of the lessons during one lunch sessions. Co-teachers had homework assigns and were challenged to be engaging and informative during their lessons. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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Mr. O'Brien teaches a forensics course at Polson High School in Polson, Montana. Students collect dust and evidence using a specially rigged vacuum cleaner. They fingerprint one another and pluck hair from each other's heads. They conduct blood spatter analyses and sift through trash cans. They try to match teeth and tread marks to dental records and tire patterns.
Capitalizing on the popularity of the television series CSI, as well as on the morbid curiosity of high school juniors and seniors, Mr. O'Brien's class is a tour de force in curiosity and creativity. Students are fully engaged from the moment they discover a crime to the day they give "expert" testimony in the courtroom. All the while they are learning science and how to have a scientific mind. The purpose of the class is to teach the discipline of forensics, and at the same time instill the skills necessary to be a thorough and careful thinker. Mr. O'Brien teaches this course not just to nurture future crime scene investigators, but also to foster inquisitiveness and ingenuity in all his students. To view Mr. O'Brien's blog which supports and inspires students' interest in science, go to blogs.polson.k12.mt.us/dobrien
(Note the Bio-Buy option in the "Need Bonus Points?" section - another way to foster Curiosity & Creativity.) |
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Submitted by Sara Cerretani (QISA Staff) |
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In addition to learning about the water cycle through reading and experimentation, one group of students also enjoyed writing stories from a different perspective - that of a raindrop. While the students' stories needed to accurately represent the water cycle, each student was free to create a unique setting and plot. The raindrop adventures ranged from the kitchen sink, where a spoon became a slide, to a rainforest, where a drop traveled on the back of a jaguar. All students became fully engaged in the writing process, demonstrated their scientific knowledge, and were eager to share their stories with the class.
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Submitted by Sara Cerretani (QISA Staff) |
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Ms. Delay shared how she practices the condition of Curiosity & Creativity in her classroom. She teaches one entire class a week by only asking questions. At first the experience was awkward for her students but quickly the students learned to find their own answers and work together to solve problems. The students love the pace and uniqueness of the learning. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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A Risk is a Risk - I think too often people think of risk as being associated with grand events, such as hang gliding or bungee jumping. It's important to acknowledge and support the risks students take every day, to let them know that the risks they take with learning can have the same sense of exhilaration and accomplishment as flashier, larger scale events. A Teach-a-Lesson opportunity allows students to take a risk, learn from the experience, and teach others. Start by having each student select one activity he or she is interested in learning about, but does not yet know how to do. For example: bake a new dessert, learn oragami, or plant a garden. Develop a plan with each student to accomplish the established goal. Allow students the time and support required to learn the new skill. Once students have reached their goals, allow each one time to teach his or her new skill to classmates. Also have the student share how it felt to take this risk at various times in the process - when first assigned, in the middle of the process, and after accomplishing the goal. It would be powerful if the teacher took his or her own risk, as well, and presented right along with the students. Celebrate the students' risk taking. This may seem like a simple exercise, but it is an effective way to have students become comfortable taking risks -- it is important for students to feel empowered to open new doors. You never know where they may lead. |
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Submitted by Sara Cerretani (QISA Staff) |
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One high school has shared with us a new method it uses to encourage more students to take advanced classes. Prior to class enrollment, the school holds a course pep rally. Students currently taking courses represent and promote their favorite courses. This allows students to demystify course rumors, as well as encourage peers to take a risk and challenge themselves to try something new. Following the pep rally students attend potential courses.
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Submitted by Sherry Whittemore (Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations) |
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Administrators can create, hand out and always have available "I blew it cards. " Administrators emphasize to staff that it is OK to try an out-of-the-box idea - that they want them to do that. On the card, it reads: I blew it; name of school. Staff give the card to administrator to let them know that they tried a practice and it did not go as well as planned. This helps create and maintain a Spirit of Adventure in the school environment. Also, administrators are encouraged to use the cards, too. |
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Submitted by Susan Inman (Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations) |
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The librarian was on an Aspirations Team in a school we working in and she shared that she regularly sought the input of students when choosing which new books to buy. From among the book suggestions, she would review or read them, and then, working with an ever-tightening budget, select the books that seemed the most interesting and that they could afford.
After learning that Leadership & Responsibility was about students being given meaningful leadership opportunities, she decided to form a library committee. She personally invited students she knew were avid readers, but also allowed any other students to be a part of the group. The committee met, discussed books they had read that the library didn't have, developed selection criteria, and made choices. She even shared with the students the budget she had for such purchases and helped them work within the budget to add to their school library. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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Service Learning opportunities are among the best programs we have seen for promoting Leadership & Responsibility and Confidence to Take Action. Students really learn to make a difference in their communities. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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At one elementary school in order to continue their efforts of listening to student voice, the school recently had elementary students interview candidates for a cafeteria position. Students took the time to prepare, practice and then they posed the questions to the candidates. Not only did this practice empower students, but it also allowed future employees to realize the importance of student voice in the school's overall mission. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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At Memorial High School one student has a seat on the school board. The student is an active part of the discussions and decisions. The student is elected by the student body, however, the student must demonstrate a record of civic involvement in order to get on the ballot. Freshman and sophomores are told about this process and given opportunities to build their civic resumes so they can run for a seat their junior year. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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Service Learning opportunities are among the best programs we have seen for promoting Leadership & Responsibility and Confidence to Take Action. Students really learn to make a difference in their communities. |
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Submitted by Michael J. Corso, Ph.D. (QISA) |
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Seventh grade students in the Integrated Arts program at Laconia Middle School in New Hampshire host an annual Empty Bowls Project Banquet. The students make bowls out of clay and decorate them with leaf drawings. The bowls are then used for the banquet, along with soup and bread generously donated by local restaurants. The student's bowls are sold for a suggested donation of $10-$15 per bowl. People who purchase the bowls not only enjoy a delicious bowl of soup, but take the bowls home with them as a reminder of people in need. The proceeds from the sale of the bowls are donated to a local food shelf program. These students demonstrate compassion for their community and the Confidence to Take Action. |
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Submitted by Sara Cerretani (QISA Staff) |
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At one elementary school in order to continue their efforts of listening to student voice, the school recently had elementary students interview candidates for a cafeteria position. Students took the time to prepare, practice and then they posed the questions to the candidates. Not only did this practice empower students, but it also allowed future employees to realize the importance of student voice in the school's overall mission. |
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Submitted by Kristine Fox (QISA Staff) |
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One high school has shared with us a new method it uses to encourage more students to take advanced classes. Prior to class enrollment, the school holds a course pep rally. Students currently taking courses represent and promote their favorite courses. This allows students to demystify course rumors, as well as encourage peers to take a risk and challenge themselves to try something new. Following the pep rally students attend potential courses.
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Submitted by Sherry Whittemore (Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations) |
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