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Sunday, August 25, 2013

PUSH Lists: Frequently Asked Questions

cc flickr photo azjd
It is hard to believe that we are already wrapping up the month of August -- time flies. That also means we only have about five weeks before the end of first quarter, a vacation, and some cooler weather! Now is the time to encourage students who are struggling, and work to get them back on track.

 At this point, everyone should have selected the four students you will be working with as a part of our PUSH project. Remember that your interventions do not have to be "big ideas," or terribly time consuming. I think it is probably more important that you are consistently interacting with these kiddos.  Last week, I shared a list of 60 ideas to get you started with developing connections.  In addition, this weekend I found 500+ Ideas for Developing Positive Connections with Your Class - a Google Spreadsheet initiated by a Twitter acquaintance, Tom Barrett. If you have ideas you would like to add to Tom's list, you can do that using this Google Form.

I have received several questions about this mentoring process, and thought it might be helpful if I answered those in a forum where we could all read, and share ideas.

How do we tell the kids they were selected, in a positive way?

As with all interventions, your approach is probably going to depend on the student.  I think it is probably safe to start by telling them that you are a "go to" person for them -- someone they can come to if they have questions, or concerns.  Give them some compliments, "I really appreciate how you...," or "I enjoy having you in my class, because..."  Let them know that you are there to help make their experience at Willis positive -- socially and academically.  You do not need to use the term "PUSH," talk about grades, or mention AIMS.  Initially, you are simply establishing yourself as an advocate.  Keep your initial conversation light-hearted, and relatively brief.

Should the interview be a "formal" process?

This is going to depend on your comfort level, and the individual personality of your students.  You have been provided with a form to help you identify some of the information you should eventually know about your PUSH students.  This does not mean that you need to (or should) sit down and conduct a "formal" interview and take notes, but the form might help guide your discussion.  Some students will be very comfortable talking to you, at length, about their lives.  Others will need to see that you are someone they can trust -- this will take time.  The important thing to remember is that within the next couple weeks, you should make an initial connection, and begin to get to know your PUSH students.

When can we meet with our PUSH students?

Before school, after school, at lunch, during your prep -- you decide what works best for you, and the student.  It is okay to pull students (for a few minutes) from their class, during your prep.  However, if you do that, be sure that you make arrangements with their teacher so that it is not an imposition to the teacher, or the student.  I would encourage you to vary the times of your interaction.

How should we document what we are doing?

There isn't one specific way you need to do this.  Some information, and data, will be entered into the PUSH spreadsheet provided to your house/department.  However, everyone should keep a journal (or notes) pertaining to their PUSH intervention efforts.  Log student meetings, notes you have written, phone calls, tutoring, etc.  Remember that this is a school wide initiative, and expectation, for ALL teachers.  Your log of PUSH interventions can be used as documentation for several different elements in the iObservation evaluation instrument.  There will also be times when you are given opportunities to share ideas and strategies with your colleagues.

If you have additional questions, or ideas for working with PUSH students, please feel free to add a comment to this post.  Thank you for your efforts on behalf of Willis students!

Coming to school each day can become a hopeless task for some children unless they succeed at what they do.  We teachers are the sentries against that hopelessness.  ~ Robert DeBruyn