Checkpoint (previously published on my Edublogs account 11/19/2010)

How are things going so far? Is high school everything you thought it would be? Is it more than you expected or are you scratching your head wondering why you wasted a whole summer worrying about starting high school? No matter where you started you are more than 1/4 of the way through your freshman year.

Now seems like as good a time as any to stop and reflect on your progress. Did you play any fall sports or attend fall sporting events? Are you a member of a club? Did you participate in the Homecoming events? Have you done any community service outside of school? If so, then I hope things are going well and if you haven’t, consider whether or not you have time to stretch your horizons and participate in something in or out of school. Never mind whether or not it looks good to colleges. Get out there and try new things because it is in trying something new that you learn about yourself.

Report cards went out last week AND the high school held its parent/teacher conferences. How did that work for you? Here are some things to think about:

• Were your grades what you expected? Why or why not? Identify three things you did that contributed to the grade you received.
• Identify what you would keep and/or change to regarding your grades for quarter 1.
• Can you list three resources that could help you improve or support your academic outcome next quarter?

Taking a few minutes to think about your grades and not just to react to your grades, could help you work smarter rather than harder.

It's an Honor Just to be Scheduled....

Sap buckets in the maple trees are always a sure sign that Spring is here and so is “scheduling season”. And with scheduling season come lots of very good questions. However, by far, the most common question I get as a guidance counselor is, “What is “Honors?” So who should take an Honors level class?

Honors classes work at an advanced level. Depending on what the subject matter is, that may look like a faster pace, more in depth inquiry, heavier reading level, or an advanced writing level, to name a few of the differences between these classes and a traditional college prep course.

So, the successful Honors student is generally someone who enjoys learning and the challenges learning brings. They want to be successful. They are motivated and independent workers who can take on an assignment, manage it successfully and turn it in on time with little or no prodding from their teacher or parent/guardian. If they don’t understand a concept, they seek help from their teacher. They are responsible for their learning and accountable for its outcome.

Now, the reality is that not every successful Honors student exemplifies all of these traits, all of the time. However, it is safe to say based on years of observation, that Honors students possess a combination of these traits most of the time and if they have a weakness in a particular area, they work on it.

What do you think? Does that sound like you???

Welcome to My New Home!

I hope that you will find my blog informative and helpful. It is the product of at least half a dozen false starts but I think I have finally figured it out.

This blog is intended to provide information and resources for anyone who is in or is heading to the ninth grade. However, education is a continuum and so some of the information posted here will be helpful to students and their parents and guardians.

If you have a burning question, please leave it in a comment and I will do my best to either answer the question or to try to send you in the right direction.