I am taking the primary leadership role in supporting the idea of student recognition within my Fire Technology Program. While I am the only instructor, I will ask that my seniors aid in providing the support and recognition for the sophomore students. Second semester Fire Technology this year has an overlapping schedule. I have my seniors Monday through Thursday from 8 till 12:30. I also have 42 sophomores students on Wednesday. Thus, the two classes overlap.
This was a first for me and I welcomed the challenge. Two different grade levels and two different levels of understanding regarding the content being taught. Sophomores are being introduced to the basics of firefighting, while the seniors are finishing their last semester and are much more advanced. So, how can I bridge the two classes?
I have the seniors aid in teaching the sophomores. For example, after a teaching a lesson about Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, I break the sophomores up into small groups, ranging from three to five students. In the Fire Service we call this span of control. One person can most effectively supervise one to seven people. In doing so, this increases the safety of all fire ground operations while offering more specific learning to the student or fire cadet. This supports the idea of Gradual Release which is built into the HSHMC community and culture. By the seniors taking on a leadership role in instruction, I now have 16 students who can tell me who is doing well and who is not. I can support and now praise those who are doing well. On the flip side, I can offer specific attention to others who are struggling. I think this is an awesome idea. Not only have the seniors given me specific details as to how to best praise or recognize a student, they now assist me in the process.
After several meetings with my seniors, I have identified two ways in which the students feel they are best recognized. The first is with parent notification. More often than not, parents are notified when a student is not performing well or has behavior issues. 65% of the seniors said that a positive phone call home or a written letter means more to them than anything else. They love to have a teacher connect with their parents when something positive has happened. The second is recognition in front of peers for a job well done. 29% of students felt that positive recognition in front of their peers makes them happy.
So, in order to increase student recognition, all I truly need is my voice, a pen and my computer. My voice to praise students in front of their peers or to make a phone call home. A pen to write a letter and my computer to log who I have recognized and as to how I did it.
This was a first for me and I welcomed the challenge. Two different grade levels and two different levels of understanding regarding the content being taught. Sophomores are being introduced to the basics of firefighting, while the seniors are finishing their last semester and are much more advanced. So, how can I bridge the two classes?
I have the seniors aid in teaching the sophomores. For example, after a teaching a lesson about Self Contained Breathing Apparatus, I break the sophomores up into small groups, ranging from three to five students. In the Fire Service we call this span of control. One person can most effectively supervise one to seven people. In doing so, this increases the safety of all fire ground operations while offering more specific learning to the student or fire cadet. This supports the idea of Gradual Release which is built into the HSHMC community and culture. By the seniors taking on a leadership role in instruction, I now have 16 students who can tell me who is doing well and who is not. I can support and now praise those who are doing well. On the flip side, I can offer specific attention to others who are struggling. I think this is an awesome idea. Not only have the seniors given me specific details as to how to best praise or recognize a student, they now assist me in the process.
After several meetings with my seniors, I have identified two ways in which the students feel they are best recognized. The first is with parent notification. More often than not, parents are notified when a student is not performing well or has behavior issues. 65% of the seniors said that a positive phone call home or a written letter means more to them than anything else. They love to have a teacher connect with their parents when something positive has happened. The second is recognition in front of peers for a job well done. 29% of students felt that positive recognition in front of their peers makes them happy.
So, in order to increase student recognition, all I truly need is my voice, a pen and my computer. My voice to praise students in front of their peers or to make a phone call home. A pen to write a letter and my computer to log who I have recognized and as to how I did it.