Advisory: Check-in and Support Transcript

Teacher: We’re gonna do a whip around of sort of what’s going on for you around portfolios. You can really interpret that in whatever way you want to.

Student: I’m feeling very nervous because I have a lot to do and so little bit.

Student: I know what I have to do, but I just don’t do it.

Student: My heart’s beating really fast right now because there’s only four more weeks.

Narrator: I always say that I wouldn’t be able to work at Metro if we didn’t have advisory because the advisory piece is such a critical component.

Teacher: I feel the stress. I can see it on your faces.

Narrator: Without the ability to form relationships with them in a different way, just beyond being their Teacher, I don’t think that we would be able to do coax and cajole and do the work that we do with them.

Student: It’s hard.

Teacher: I’m with you. Super hard.

Student: With deadlines coming up.

Teacher: Give yourself little chunks of time and then give yourself rewards when you get a little bit done. Cookies. I don’t know.

Narrator: Most advisories will start where we sit in a circle and we talk as a community. We’ll have students answer a question about their life or about their day as just a way to transition away from the academic stuff that sometimes gets in the way of people just being people.

Teacher: Remember, when things feel out of control, the best thing that I’ve ever done is make myself a list of things I can check off easily.

Student: With my list, I don’t know where to start. I don’t know—

Teacher: How many of you go with the hardest thing because you’re like, that’s what I gotta work on first? Okay. Good. All right. That’s another option.

Student: I go with the scariest one.

Teacher: The scariest? That’s great.

Student: The consequence. If I don’t get it done, what’s gonna happen?

Teacher: Yeah. That’s great if that’s what it takes. In college, that’s gonna be the safe thing.

Narrator: With seniors, advisory is very much about college and the portfolio.

Student: Hello, everyone.

Narrator: That’s really where some of that peer feedback comes in.

Teacher: It’s just us. Have fun with it.

Student: You can do it.

[Clapping]

Teacher: We’ll be rehearsing in front of each other, giving each other feedback, seeking each other out for guidance.

Student: As a microscope, I’m able to see the beauty in what seems to be boring but really has remarkable detail.

Narrator: It’s where students can let their shoulders down a little bit and just say, I need help with this. Can somebody help me with this? It’s wonderful because you’ll have three kids be like, yes, I’ll help you. They come together.

Teacher: In your argument, you talk about looking through different perspectives. How did you do that?

Student: I relate this artifact to mostly to accepting imperfection.

Student: I’m excited and I’m just nervous.

Narrator: Students learn that they can view their Teachers in a different light, that some of the trust issues and the feeling of, oh, you’re this adult; you’re gonna tell me that I’m wrong or whatever goes away.

Student: I feel good because I feel confident and I’m ready to start.

Teacher: Sounds like if you need some help from anybody, you can also ask Janae 02:55 ‘cause she’s feeling awesome. I love that.

[End of Audio]