Freshman Seminar
C.2.iii: Implement high-quality activities that are directly related to improving student academic achievement, based on the State’s challenging academic content standards and 2010-2013 Magnet School Assistance Program student academic achievement standards.
…Incorporate a Freshman Seminar into the monthly classroom experience for all 9th graders. Every two weeks, one of the four core teachers will use his/her block of time with the students in their team to engage them in activities to improve their study, note-taking, outlining, organizational and time management skills. Students will also gain “soft skills”, such as punctuality, appropriate attire, and business communication…
(Taken from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program, Grant # CFDA: 84.165A)
…Incorporate a Freshman Seminar into the monthly classroom experience for all 9th graders. Every two weeks, one of the four core teachers will use his/her block of time with the students in their team to engage them in activities to improve their study, note-taking, outlining, organizational and time management skills. Students will also gain “soft skills”, such as punctuality, appropriate attire, and business communication…
(Taken from the Magnet Schools Assistance Program, Grant # CFDA: 84.165A)
Implementation Plan:
The Freshman Seminar is designed to incorporate five units of study with goals and student objectives. These lessons are meant to support your existing practice. As highly effective teachers you incorporate these skills on a regular basis. Using the Freshman Seminar model, ninth grade Academy teams can work together to provide a consistent foundation to more effectively motivate and prepare students for academic success.
Teachers have flexibility in the implementation of the Freshman Seminar. While the grant specifies bi-weekly implementation (minimum of 20 lessons per year) we have the flexibility to create an equivalent high-quality comprehensive program in the best interest of students. While this is expected to be utilized throughout the year, teams have the discretion to propose alternate time-lines.
Each unit of study has lessons, projects and resources available. The projects will utilize the provided lessons, but the lessons can be done independently of the projects. Team members should share their existing lessons that support the goals of the seminar unit. Feel free to modify the lessons and/or projects to best fit your students’ academic needs.
Some suggestions for implementation include, but are not limited to:
Teachers have flexibility in the implementation of the Freshman Seminar. While the grant specifies bi-weekly implementation (minimum of 20 lessons per year) we have the flexibility to create an equivalent high-quality comprehensive program in the best interest of students. While this is expected to be utilized throughout the year, teams have the discretion to propose alternate time-lines.
Each unit of study has lessons, projects and resources available. The projects will utilize the provided lessons, but the lessons can be done independently of the projects. Team members should share their existing lessons that support the goals of the seminar unit. Feel free to modify the lessons and/or projects to best fit your students’ academic needs.
Some suggestions for implementation include, but are not limited to:
- One subject area can cover the entire seminar.
- Lessons can be rotated once every two weeks between core subject areas (minimum of 20 lessons, 5 per subject area
- One subject area can take responsibility for a unit of study and implement lessons or the project.
- Lessons or projects can be interdisciplinary at the discretion of the team.
- Academy grade-level teams can develop their own implementation plan.