Holistic Readiness for StudentsMia Bradford, Middle School Outreach Coordinator EMERGE-HISD

Participants will: • Define holistic readiness.• Identify key developmental aspects for effective

programming.• Identify the challenges our students face and what areas

they need to develop in.• Highlight strategies to target certain areas of development.

OBJECTIVES

What does holistic awareness mean on your campus?

“Many college access initiatives rely on youth having already developed the personal resources, such as motivation and a college-going identity, that will enable them to benefit from programmatic resources. What is missing from current efforts is attention to helping youth develop these personal resources and internal capacities”.

What’s missing?

• Savitz-Romer believes “in order for young people to set future goals, make informed choices, and succeed once in college, they need opportunities that support their holistic development”.

• This is especially true for those students that are not self-motivated or don’t see themselves as college material. How is their college going identity established and what supports are in place for them to develop it?

What’s missing?

• Bouffard believes that “few institutions and efforts have harnessed this need to build agency, or what Reed Larson has described as initiative, “the ability to be motivated from within to direct attention and effort toward a challenging goal.” According to Larson, initiative or “agency” involves three factors that work in concert: intrinsic motivation, or the drive to do something and invest in it for its own sake; engagement in the activities and environments of one’s daily life: and commitment over time even (or especially) in the face of challenges and setbacks.

What’s missing?

• What are some of the misconceptions we might have about the skills our students should have acquired by now?

• What are some of the challenges a lower SES, single parent, homeless or hungry student may face?

• What are some of the challenges a student from a higher SES household with college educated or even immigrant parents may face?

Discussion

Privilege Walk Activity

• How did this exercise make you feel?• What were your thoughts as you were doing

it? Where do you think your students are on this spectrum?

• What have you learned from this exercise?

Privilege Walk Debrief

• Age/Grade Social/Emotional Physical Cognitive

Developmental Milestones10-13 years old Child comparing self

worth to others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognize major disparities in personal abilities relative to other children. i.e. comparison. Self conscious, sensitive, concern with own bodies.

Non romantic peer friendships, cliques, behave alike, dress alike, secret codes and rituals.

Girls may begin to develop as early as 8 years old. A rapid growth in height occurs for girls between the ages of about 9.5-14.5 years, peaking somewhere around 12 years old.

Boys begin development as early as 9 years of age.

A rapid growth in height occurs between the ages of about 10.5-11 and 16 to 18, peaking around age 14.

Logical thought, ability to perform multiple classification tasks, order objects in a logical sequence , and comprehend the principle of conservation. Thinking becomes more egocentric. The child is capable of concrete problem solving.

• www.search-institute.org• How do we promote these assets on our

campuses?• Counseling Lessons, 1:1’s and Small Groups!

40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents (ages 12-18)

External Assets Internal Assets

Support Commitment to Learning

Empowerment Positive Values

Boundaries & Expectations Social Competencies

Constructive Use of Time Positive Identity

Fu

Support is the foundation

Fueledschools.org

Food for thought: How many of us often give our students a solution?

Empowerment

Peer Leaders

Food for thought: Place yourself back in the age group, what was important to you at that time?

Boundaries and Expectations

LIFE IS NOT FAIR!

• Have a student define compromise.• Explain why compromise is necessary.• Have a student volunteer and give you a brief scenario where the

parent asked them not to wear something or they could not go somewhere and they got upset and spoke back to their parents.

• Have the other students write down ideas for a compromise that might resolve the issue.

• Have the students interview adults in their life and ask them what rules they had to follow, what seemed fair, and what didn’t and what happened when they did not follow the rules? Also, have them ask if there was anything positive about the rules?

• Adapted from: Too Stressed to Think? A Teen Guide to Staying Sane when life makes your Crazy By Annie Fox, M.Ed and Ruth Kirschner pages. 76-77

Compromise Reflection Activity

• HW: Have the students interview adults in their life and ask them what rules they had to follow, what seemed fair, and what didn’t and what happened when they did not follow the rules? Also, have them ask if there was anything positive about the rules?

• Follow up: “Take It Into the Real World”: An “all or nothing: attitude usually increases stress and prevents conflict resolution. The next time you’re in a head-to-head conflict, flex. Instead of thinking you have to get your way or win at all costs, consider a compromise…”

Compromise Reflection Activity HW and Follow up

• Are students aware of the many activities you have on campus? Are they encouraged to try something new or try something on their bucket list? Is involvement a part of your 1:1 conversations?

• What community after-school and weekend programs are available to your students? Are you partnered with any Community Based Organizations?

• Are students encouraged to volunteer? Many can start with their religious organizations.

• Connect with your feeder pattern high schools about summer program opportunities offered to all grade levels.

Guiding students to meaningful activities.

Internal Assets

Decision Making• www.practicalmoneyskills.com

According to Hossler, there is a “three-step college choice decision-making process, which includes predisposition, (developing postsecondary aspirations and college-going goals), search (identification of possible post-secondary opportunities), and choice (selection of appropriate college).”

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