Action Research Update

My district (we got a new superintendent last year) took the initiative to encourage more college readiness. We are a district with a standard dress code, however every Thursday this year is “Think College Thursday.” Students get to wear a t-shirt or sweatshirt representative of a college or university team with the rest of the standard dress code (khaki pants with belt). However, they’ve limited it to colleges and universities while excluding things like the military and trade schools. With this district initiative my supervisor and I have limited my research this year to my current students (and my fellow 8^th grade science teachers) and will work to expand it next year. What I have done within my classroom is we spend part of each Thursday talking about opportunities beyond school. Sometimes our goals will never lead us down the road to college, however the skills we need to be successful in life are the same for all students—whether they want to flip burgers or be a doctor; such as respect for self and others, how to take care of our business and help others with theirs, etc. So far we have talked about what students want to be…I’ve invited them to come and have their picture taken with what they want to be written on our classroom whiteboard. I’m still waiting on a few and when I have all of them will make a collage picture so that we leave it up to inspire ourselves! We’ve also spent time talking about characteristics of successful people…it’s not all about school, but unfortunately we have to get through school in order to reach our goals because the state and national government say so. We are just starting to talk about each of the things my students want to be when they “grow up” and I will begin challenging them to find schools (college, university, trade or military) that offers them the opportunity to do what it is they want to do. Following this will be the challenge to learn the particulars about the program; i.e. cost, length of program, how do I qualify to get in, will I have a degree, etc.