ACADEMIC STRATEGIES A1 - Hodges - 25-26 - B(1) C(2-3,5-6)

Upcoming Assessments

Math	English	Science	History	World Languages
Cerreta Algebra 1 Assessment #2 Mon, Sept 22	Kerr CP English Parts of Speech Quiz Thurs, Sept 25 Red & Orange	Giancioppo ACP Physics  Tues, Sept 18 Unit 1 Test	Gekopi ACP History Quiz every Day 6 Next Date:  Fri. Sept. 26	Perry French  Thurs, Sept 18 Quiz
	Murphy ACP English Literary Terms Quiz Fri, Sept 26

Click here for Resource Center schedules - Click here CP Help Center (for CP Physics & CP English)

Syllabus: Welcome to Academic Strategies

(a.k.a. Learning Center)

 

Ms. Hodges (Special Educator)

Ms. Peterson (Teaching Assistant)

Room 354

 

 

 

What is the Academic Strategies or Learning Center (LC)?

Academic Strategies takes place in the Learning Center (LC). You do not receive a letter grade for this class, but you do receive credit on a pass/fail basis.

The core purpose of this class is to help you explore and evaluate your individual learning needs while receiving support in targeted areas.  Individual goals and objectives are central to this process along with understanding your IEP and any recent results from evaluations. LC is designed to help you develop and expand your independence as a student in preparation for life after high school. 

 

Daily Agenda

Each day, you will practice a skill for 10 minutes. According to the day of the week: 

Material Monday	Organizing your backpack and coursework
News Day Tuesdays	Learning about current events
Wild Card Wednesday	Practicing a single skill in math, writing, or executive functioning
Throwback Thursday	Returning to a previously taught skill in math, writing, or executive functioning
Fluency Friday	Practicing math fluency facts

 

After completing skill work, you will review all grades and assignments in your classes to evaluate and reflect on your progress as a student. This practice is crucial to developing the executive functioning skills necessary for independence as we move through high school and into adulthood. With this agenda, there is some time to approach your assignments; however in Academic Strategies at the high school level, students are expected to complete their homework primarily outside of Learning Center time. In this way, LC is different from a Directed Research (study hall) or Learning Center classes in younger grade levels. 

9th Grade LC Focus by Month:

September	Welcome to the high school! Navigate your way around the building, make friends, understand the set up of your classes. Set initial goals.	February	Written Expression and Communication. Students will practice sentence expansion, transitional phrases, proofreading, and email etiquette.
October	Future Goals - think about clubs, sports, grades, college visits, etc. Start a resumé.	March	Math Survival Skills. Students will review their progress in fact fluency and reflect on their review of fractions, decimals, percentages, and rounding.
November	Executive Functioning Foundations: what is EF, and how does it impact me? Students will develop systems to organize their materials, time, and information.	April	Understanding your Learning Profile. Students will use their IEP information to better understand their strengths and challenges.
December	Study Strategies! Students will compile a series of methods (e.g. Pomodoro Technique, the Feynman Method), tools and resources (e.g. Kahoot, categorized flashcards) they can rely on over time.	May	End of year reflection: Review your progress, consider future goals, and look back at the learning over the past year.
January	ACTIVE Learning: how to actively learn in class, actively read on your own, and be a responsive student	June	Review courses for next year and summer assignments. Download summer reading books on to Learning Ally.

 

What are the policies and expectations?

Timeliness - It’s both respectful and a super important life skill that is developed by establishing good habits. Show up on time. Hand in assignments on time. 

Communication - Consider your body language. Practice effectively advocating for your needs. Develop the habit of requesting accommodations in advance of assessments. 

Approach to Learning - Bring a growth mindset and strong work ethic to class - this is how you get better at anything. When you have a problem, it is important to remain open to trying new strategies and techniques and give each adjustment your full effort. 

Cell Phones - we will use the apps on your phones for organization (e.g. PowerSchool, Google Calendar, Reminders/Notes, etc.). However, it is important to keep off of distracting apps like games, social media, and the internet.  Our classroom has a box to place your phone for distraction free time in line with the school’s expectations. 

Be a Raider - All students are expected to adhere to the WPS Core Values (posted in the classroom, on WPS website, and listed below):

Academic Excellence - Cooperative and Caring Relationships - Respect for Human Differences - Community Commitment - Student Agency

 

What is Executive Functioning and why is it a part of Academic Strategies?

You will spend time in LC evaluating and reflecting on your performance, goals, and plans. Doing so will build executive function skills and result in progress towards the goal of independence. 

People who are independent possess an number of executive functioning skills. This table outlines the various life skills we are working to develop:: 

Conscious Control Storing and manipulating visual and verbal information • Remembering details • Holding on to information while considering other information • Shifting focus from one event to another • Attending to a person or activity • Focusing • Concentrating • Thinking before acting • Managing conflicting thoughts	Engagement Identifying same and different • Following multiple steps • Identifying cause‐and‐effect relationships • Categorizing information • Changing perspective • Thinking about multiple concepts simultaneously • Initiating a task • Persisting in a task	Collaboration Seeing multiple sides to a situation • Being open to others’ points of view • Maintaining social appropriateness • Overcoming temptation
Empowerment Catching and correcting errors • Setting goals • Managing time • Self‐assessing • Monitoring performance • Reflecting on goals	Efficacy Being creative • Working toward a goal • Organizing actions and thoughts • Considering future consequences in light of current action • Making hypotheses, deductions, and inferences • Applying former approaches to new situations • Defining a problem • Analyzing • Creating mental images • Generating possible solutions • Anticipating • Predicting outcomes • Evaluating	Leadership The ultimate expression of executive function skills, requiring the use of all of the executive function skills listed in this table (best read developmentally from box 1to 6)

 

This table describes the executive functioning skills in each category of brain science:

Working Memory Storing and manipulating visual and verbal information•Identifying same and different • Remembering details • Following multiple steps•Holding on to information while considering other information •Identifying cause‐and‐effect relationships Categorizing information	Problem Solving Defining a problem • Analyzing • Creating mental images•Generating possible solutions • Anticipating • Predicting outcomes • Evaluating	Cognitive Flexibility Shifting focus from one event to another • Changing perspective • Seeing multiple sides to a situation • Being open to others’ points of view • Being creative • Catching and correcting errors• Thinking about multiple concepts simultaneously	Inhibitory Control Attending to a person or activity•Focusing•Concentrating • Thinking before acting • Initiating a task•Persisting in a task• Maintaining social appropriateness
Planning Setting goals • Managing time • Working toward a goal•Organizing actions and thoughts • Considering future consequences in light of current action	Self‐awareness Self‐assessing • Overcoming temptation • Monitoring performance • Reflecting on goals • Managing conflicting thoughts	Reasoning Making hypotheses, deductions, and inferences • Applying former approaches to new situations	Relating our executive functioning skills to Brain Science terminology helps us to understand our learning profile and what strategies we can use to overcome obstacles.

 

Contact Information

Who Should I Ask?
Category of Concern	Appropriate Contact
Special Education	I am available via email at any time hodgesc@wellesleyps.org I am happy to set up a virtual meeting upon request.
Attendance	Contact your student's house office for all attendance related updates and questions.
Course Schedule	Contact your student's school counselor for any questions regarding their daily schedule or upcoming classes.
Performance in Class	Contact your student's teacher for specific questions regarding individual classes.
Emailing is always a great way to initiate a conversation. Contact information can be located on the WHS website