Importance of Relationships

The Week of 09/16/13

I read a great article this week, but I am hesitant about how useful it will be for me as I proceed on this course. It is from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and it is entitled "Freshman Transition Programs: Long-Term and Comprehensive. It makes a point to say that transition programs need to be more than a one-day orientation showing students around the building and all that. It was interesting to read that this organization advocates the implementation of a year-long course where freshmen are taught "mentoring, life skills and information about why school and learning are important."

As great as a year-long course sounds, I don't believe it is feasible in the current financial situation our district finds itself in. There were some great ideas though. The takeaway from this article for me is how important the relationship that is fostered between staff members and students is towards retaining those students and seeing them through to graduation. The top three factors for dropping out, according to Lan and Lanthier, are poor school performance, attitude towards school, and relationships with teachers. I absolutely believe that the latter can drastically alter the former. When we develop a program here at BHS, I am certain that a key component of it needs to be that relationship piece between students and staff.

Freshman Mentoring

Wide eyed. Scared. Confused. Curious.  If you have ever been in a high school the first day of a new school year and looked at the face of a freshman, this is what you have seen. Making the transition from middle school to high school is a huge problem for many freshman. The school is bigger. The kids are bigger. The lunch line is bigger. The home work is bigger. EVERYTHING is bigger.

In the past at Brandon High School (to varying degrees of success), we have run some sort of freshman transition program. My feeling and the feeling of the teachers I talk to is that we need something in place for these freshman to make this crazy and hectic time in their lives a little less crazy and hectic. For the next 16 weeks, I will be researching different freshman transition programs around the country. I will read articles, talk to colleagues, discuss programs being run in other buildings with the people that run. I want to develop a program here at BHS that rocks. My ultimate goal is to have a plan, team, and program in place by the time the first semester is over. That will give us an entire semester to think about it and work out kinks. I hope to have this rolled out by the time school begins for the 2014-2015 school year.