Finals week is currently upon us!!! My students have been stressing and cracking down on their schoolwork over the past two weeks, but amidst all of the looming finals anxiety, we managed to have fruitful discussions regarding both Fear and Negativity Bias.
After watching inside out, we talked about the Fear emotion and the good and bad things about this emotion's role in our lives. It can help keep us safe from dangerous situations while, on the flip side, also keeping us from living our best lives outside of our comfort zones. We discussed the role of anxiety and how this related to our own Negativity Biases - Finals week came into the topic of discussion for most of my classes.
The second half of the week we performed grade checks and my Mentor Leader's checked in with everyone regarding their GPA stance going into next week. As a class we reviewed study techniques and I handed out flashcards to the students who needed them. This week I am offering up my office to all of my seniors during my planning periods, often times the study time given in study hall, lunch room, and in other classrooms are extremely rambunctious so if they needed a quiet space to focus, I have their back! Our school is also sending out Eagle Care Packages to our seniors from the teachers so I chose a few of my extra stressed seniors to receive some snacks and study prep materials to make this week a little less stressful. Wish my YESS students luck this week!
See you next year,
Ms. Castro
Monday, December 18, 2017
Monday, December 11, 2017
Exploring Our Feels
Welcome back everyone! Over here at Adams City we are diligently working toward holiday break, but before break is... dun dun dun... FINALS! At this time of year tension is high between my students feeling both stress and exhaustion, which is why our lesson about Emotions fell at a good time. We not only discussed mental health, but also connected the week before's lessons on the brain to help us understand why we have been feeling this way. We not only related the Emotions lesson with the stress from school, but also the stress, anger, sadness, fear, and happiness they experience outside of the classroom.
We spoke candidly about each of the 6 universal emotions - Sadness, Happiness, Anger, Surprise, Fear, and Disgust. We did an activity where 6 groups of students made spider charts on posters, writing down images, words, and phrases that came to mind when they thought about experiencing each emotions. Each group rotated so that everyone had a chance to give input about each emotion. I thought it was interesting that in almost every single classroom, the emotion that had the most words around it at the end of the activity was Sadness. We took a moment to acknowledge this and talk about mental health in relation to their generation, it isn't always happiness and rainbows when you're growing up in a community like Commerce City where resources that can attribute to your success is limited. But we talked about the importance of coping mechanisms, support systems, and shifting perspectives to a positive outlook in relation to Today I Choose.
We also utilized this lesson to watch Inside Out, an award winning Pixar movie that dives into the psychology of the brain in relation to the main emotions that humans experience. To ensure engagement, I found an Inside Out fill in the blank hand out that explored all of the different emotions broken down in the movie. The movie made us feel all of the emotions right along with the main character, Riley, it had even the most quiet students laughing and even crying... Especially when Bing Bong got left behind in the obsolete memory abyss - symbolizing what we all go through when we grow up and mature. It was not only extremely relatable but so educational in a fun and colorful way.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
We spoke candidly about each of the 6 universal emotions - Sadness, Happiness, Anger, Surprise, Fear, and Disgust. We did an activity where 6 groups of students made spider charts on posters, writing down images, words, and phrases that came to mind when they thought about experiencing each emotions. Each group rotated so that everyone had a chance to give input about each emotion. I thought it was interesting that in almost every single classroom, the emotion that had the most words around it at the end of the activity was Sadness. We took a moment to acknowledge this and talk about mental health in relation to their generation, it isn't always happiness and rainbows when you're growing up in a community like Commerce City where resources that can attribute to your success is limited. But we talked about the importance of coping mechanisms, support systems, and shifting perspectives to a positive outlook in relation to Today I Choose.
We also utilized this lesson to watch Inside Out, an award winning Pixar movie that dives into the psychology of the brain in relation to the main emotions that humans experience. To ensure engagement, I found an Inside Out fill in the blank hand out that explored all of the different emotions broken down in the movie. The movie made us feel all of the emotions right along with the main character, Riley, it had even the most quiet students laughing and even crying... Especially when Bing Bong got left behind in the obsolete memory abyss - symbolizing what we all go through when we grow up and mature. It was not only extremely relatable but so educational in a fun and colorful way.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, December 4, 2017
Mind Blown by The Brain 101
Last week we welcomed back our eagles from Thanksgiving break that flew by way too quickly for both students and staff. After a short lesson on re centering ourselves and the importance of practicing mindfulness after the holiday, we hit the ground running by introducing the brain and all of its functions in our lives.
The Brain 101 included us breaking down brain development and learning about the different stages of brain maturity and what parts light up when we encounter certain situations in life. This was interesting because we discussed relevant problems in our school, fighting and sleep schedules. We talked about decision making and about how in teens brains, they react from emotions and from the ego rather than the developed frontal cortex that allows a person to rationalize options and consequences. We learned about the disturbing fact that teens don't start developing melatonin until 1 am while most adults don't produce it until 10 pm - they wanted to bring this info to the admin to advocate for later school start times- ha! We also discussed what facts, thoughts, and concepts blow our minds. We watched a viral video that showed pop culture icon, Jaden Smith, talk about mind-blowing facts that left us questioning whether or not these were in fact valid and scientifically proven. One fact that was shared that was interesting and funny was that the brain came up with the term/name for itself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIcgyj1F9ms
This moved our discussion towards how the brain can perceive reality based on what they believe to be true and trustworthy. This lead us to bring up silly things like conspiracy theories like secret societies, celebrity vampires, alternate historical events, and different theories on the way that world secretly works. What makes us believe theories to be true? We also explored the way the mind can be altered by isolation and watched a video about how the chemicals in the brain can decline health wise and start to create new realities in order to survive situations like solitary confinement.
We broke down the 13 brain terms by doing a crossword quiz where my students were allowed to use our notes that we took during our discussion that day. We are having a bit of a challenge with attendance in my morning classes so the quiz that was administered was not allowed to be made up. Hopefully, this will help our class culture by influencing students to be here and on time, this is something my mentor leaders and I will be brainstorming this week as to how to promote, and possibly reward, attendance. Next week I will update on the strategies we come up with and if any changes have been observed on that front!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
The Brain 101 included us breaking down brain development and learning about the different stages of brain maturity and what parts light up when we encounter certain situations in life. This was interesting because we discussed relevant problems in our school, fighting and sleep schedules. We talked about decision making and about how in teens brains, they react from emotions and from the ego rather than the developed frontal cortex that allows a person to rationalize options and consequences. We learned about the disturbing fact that teens don't start developing melatonin until 1 am while most adults don't produce it until 10 pm - they wanted to bring this info to the admin to advocate for later school start times- ha! We also discussed what facts, thoughts, and concepts blow our minds. We watched a viral video that showed pop culture icon, Jaden Smith, talk about mind-blowing facts that left us questioning whether or not these were in fact valid and scientifically proven. One fact that was shared that was interesting and funny was that the brain came up with the term/name for itself!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIcgyj1F9ms
This moved our discussion towards how the brain can perceive reality based on what they believe to be true and trustworthy. This lead us to bring up silly things like conspiracy theories like secret societies, celebrity vampires, alternate historical events, and different theories on the way that world secretly works. What makes us believe theories to be true? We also explored the way the mind can be altered by isolation and watched a video about how the chemicals in the brain can decline health wise and start to create new realities in order to survive situations like solitary confinement.
We broke down the 13 brain terms by doing a crossword quiz where my students were allowed to use our notes that we took during our discussion that day. We are having a bit of a challenge with attendance in my morning classes so the quiz that was administered was not allowed to be made up. Hopefully, this will help our class culture by influencing students to be here and on time, this is something my mentor leaders and I will be brainstorming this week as to how to promote, and possibly reward, attendance. Next week I will update on the strategies we come up with and if any changes have been observed on that front!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, November 27, 2017
Trust & Gratitude
Welcome back Adams City Eagle readers and YESS friends!
The past couple of weeks have been a whirl of chaos filled with relationship building and self centering thanks to our Trust and Gratitude activities and lessons.
During our Mentor Leader meeting, we decided that the relationships between the Mentors and Mentees were not at the levels they wanted them to be so we brain stormed activities to include in upcoming lessons where the partners could engage in interactive activities to learn more about each other and learn how to count on each other. One of the biggest challenges I face as a teacher here at ACHS is that I am on a cart so traveling with art projects (one of my life's biggest joys) can be a bit complicated because we are in another person's room and traveling with the projects on my cart is impossible a lot of the time. Leaving the projects in the room are also not an option because students in other classes are huge classes that are not always watched, leaving our projects that are hung on the wall vulnerable to being torn, drawn on, or pulled off the wall onto the floor, unfortunately. Because of this, the Trust Bridge lesson left us with coming up with creative ideas as to how to explore and build trust between one another and among the class as a whole. Our main activity got us all up and moving and it was quite the entertainment event for the bystander.
Along the hallway for about 8 feet was an obstacle course full of chairs and the directions left the mentors being blind folded on one side while the mentees were on the other side, directing them verbally how to get past the chairs without touching them. This tied in our lesson on communication from the previous week and connected the aspect of trust because of the vulnerability the blind folded person experienced, trusting that their partner would not lead them to trip over the chair or into the wall. We played 2v2 and the winning team to cross the finish line first got chocolate pastries I gave them as rewards, they were a hungry bunch so the competitiveness levels were at an all time high!
The short week before thanksgiving break got out, we explored the theme of Gratitude. We all shared our own version of what being thankful means in our own lives and related our gratitude towards people, creatures, health, and our experiences, both bad and good. At the end of the discussion heavy day, we made Thank You cards to give to a staff member, a family member, and a friend/peer. This tied in to analyzing who in our lives that we trust and who we have in our lives that we may not always have the opportunity to sit down and write how appreciative we are for the little things they contribute to the world and to us for their love, nourishment, and for always being there when times get tough and to share happiness.
The students wrote cards for a lot of their teachers but I also received some cards for the lunch ladies, security guards, and the janitors of ACHS, who are people who don't receive enough gratitude for what they do for our kids so I was really touched by the love our YESS classes were able to spread all over the school. I also received a handful of cards from students but one that I really loved was from team Chicken Nuggets named Brandon. He is a quiet student who doesn't often express himself so it was a real surprise to see how he felt about the class and what YESS offers him. Reading these from my students gave me a new recharged sense of passion and love for what I do and how reaching out to the ones who don't always advocate for themselves is always important. I'm so thankful for these young people in my life and it is a shining reminder that I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. Feeling so grateful.
Until next time,
Ms Castro
The past couple of weeks have been a whirl of chaos filled with relationship building and self centering thanks to our Trust and Gratitude activities and lessons.
During our Mentor Leader meeting, we decided that the relationships between the Mentors and Mentees were not at the levels they wanted them to be so we brain stormed activities to include in upcoming lessons where the partners could engage in interactive activities to learn more about each other and learn how to count on each other. One of the biggest challenges I face as a teacher here at ACHS is that I am on a cart so traveling with art projects (one of my life's biggest joys) can be a bit complicated because we are in another person's room and traveling with the projects on my cart is impossible a lot of the time. Leaving the projects in the room are also not an option because students in other classes are huge classes that are not always watched, leaving our projects that are hung on the wall vulnerable to being torn, drawn on, or pulled off the wall onto the floor, unfortunately. Because of this, the Trust Bridge lesson left us with coming up with creative ideas as to how to explore and build trust between one another and among the class as a whole. Our main activity got us all up and moving and it was quite the entertainment event for the bystander.
Along the hallway for about 8 feet was an obstacle course full of chairs and the directions left the mentors being blind folded on one side while the mentees were on the other side, directing them verbally how to get past the chairs without touching them. This tied in our lesson on communication from the previous week and connected the aspect of trust because of the vulnerability the blind folded person experienced, trusting that their partner would not lead them to trip over the chair or into the wall. We played 2v2 and the winning team to cross the finish line first got chocolate pastries I gave them as rewards, they were a hungry bunch so the competitiveness levels were at an all time high!
The short week before thanksgiving break got out, we explored the theme of Gratitude. We all shared our own version of what being thankful means in our own lives and related our gratitude towards people, creatures, health, and our experiences, both bad and good. At the end of the discussion heavy day, we made Thank You cards to give to a staff member, a family member, and a friend/peer. This tied in to analyzing who in our lives that we trust and who we have in our lives that we may not always have the opportunity to sit down and write how appreciative we are for the little things they contribute to the world and to us for their love, nourishment, and for always being there when times get tough and to share happiness.
The students wrote cards for a lot of their teachers but I also received some cards for the lunch ladies, security guards, and the janitors of ACHS, who are people who don't receive enough gratitude for what they do for our kids so I was really touched by the love our YESS classes were able to spread all over the school. I also received a handful of cards from students but one that I really loved was from team Chicken Nuggets named Brandon. He is a quiet student who doesn't often express himself so it was a real surprise to see how he felt about the class and what YESS offers him. Reading these from my students gave me a new recharged sense of passion and love for what I do and how reaching out to the ones who don't always advocate for themselves is always important. I'm so thankful for these young people in my life and it is a shining reminder that I learn from them just as much as they learn from me. Feeling so grateful.
Until next time,
Ms Castro
Monday, November 13, 2017
Educating the Masses
Welcome back, everyone! Last week in the YESS room at ACHS was a pivotal one, as we wrapped up the Race lesson we had been learning about over the past few weeks and dove into the beginning of Unit 2.
In effort to come full circle with our Race lesson, we recapped what really struck us to be the most interesting, important, or shocking throughout breaking down discrimination, stereotyping, structural racism, and implicit bias in our class. The mentee/mentor pairs in each class came up with PSA signs to hang around the school (still to be approved!). I expressed that I only have the privilege of teaching 80 students, I told them that I wish I could get this message of equality to every single student in the school but that just isn't the reality. So the next best move on our part was to use what we have learned to educate other people who do not have the fortune of being a part of our enlightening class discussions. We did this using PSA's!
For the PSA anti-racism posters the students had to meet 3 criteria: a clear message, an image, and a statistic. Once they were approved they worked together to finish them with vibrant color and interesting composition, while using their chrome books to inspire ideas. They came up with some of the most amazing visuals and messages to help inspire change in our school, because as we learned in an Ellen video we saw, one small ripple can create waves in the process of making the world a better place.
I was the only one to participate on onsie day at school and this chaotic picture was taken right when the bell rung, so it isn't the most easily understood photo... but that is what I love about it. This is team Chicken Nuggets and they have a special place in my heart.
This is a student I am very close to who has had her own negative experience with racial bullying both this year and last year. This lesson was both eye opening and therapeutic for her, and at times, she admitted feeling uncomfortable. But a success I will never forget is her explaining that she was really glad that our class was tackling this issue because people don't often take the time to have honest discussions about discrimination, learn the history of it, and have an opportunity to look at a situation through another person's perspective or hear them out. She used her voice in these discussions to express how racism has changed her view of the world, and how she wants to be a part of the fight against it. It was a huge growing moment to see her step out of her comfort zone to express these feelings and because of this it brought our class closer.
Please join us next week as we hit the ground running while exploring the beginning of Unit 2 where we will be further dissecting our sphere of influence and discussing effective communication!
Until next time,
Ms. Castro
In effort to come full circle with our Race lesson, we recapped what really struck us to be the most interesting, important, or shocking throughout breaking down discrimination, stereotyping, structural racism, and implicit bias in our class. The mentee/mentor pairs in each class came up with PSA signs to hang around the school (still to be approved!). I expressed that I only have the privilege of teaching 80 students, I told them that I wish I could get this message of equality to every single student in the school but that just isn't the reality. So the next best move on our part was to use what we have learned to educate other people who do not have the fortune of being a part of our enlightening class discussions. We did this using PSA's!
For the PSA anti-racism posters the students had to meet 3 criteria: a clear message, an image, and a statistic. Once they were approved they worked together to finish them with vibrant color and interesting composition, while using their chrome books to inspire ideas. They came up with some of the most amazing visuals and messages to help inspire change in our school, because as we learned in an Ellen video we saw, one small ripple can create waves in the process of making the world a better place.
I was the only one to participate on onsie day at school and this chaotic picture was taken right when the bell rung, so it isn't the most easily understood photo... but that is what I love about it. This is team Chicken Nuggets and they have a special place in my heart.
Please join us next week as we hit the ground running while exploring the beginning of Unit 2 where we will be further dissecting our sphere of influence and discussing effective communication!
Until next time,
Ms. Castro
Monday, November 6, 2017
Eggcelent Lessons on Race
Last week was monumental for us in the YESS room at ACHS as we continued to tackle the subject of Race. We learned key terms regarding Race through activities and online research, explored concepts through videos and discussion, and aimed to understand different perspectives through a Privilege Walk and an eggcelent activity that will be very memorable for my students for some time to come.
We made sure to touch on a relevant issue in the media surrounding the NFL players kneeling and what they were kneeling for. Colin Kaepernick was a key topic of discussion and respectful debates were had, but in the end we all learned the important of using your brain to understand the history of race and racism, and how using that knowledge to use your voice to confront situations of injustice is important to creating a better world for everyone. One of my students brought up a quote by Kurt Cobain which reads "It is up to the youth to confront corruption." This really resonated with me because I told them that this knowledge could potentially be useless unless they use it to better themselves and to change the world in the seemingly little and big ways that I know they can, as long as they feel safe. From standing up for someone in the hallway to using their knowledge to know their rights and educate others about the importance of equality and social justice, any act of spreading equality and positivity matters through knowledge and action.
The videos that helped us break down race are found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnfKgffCZ7U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0qD2K2RWkc
The activity that was the highlight of their week was called Privilege Point of View. In this activity, the students picked a word out of a bag that assigned them a role in which they were to view an event from their perspective. The roles were as follows:
Hidden in my pocket was an egg and suddenly I threw it like a baseball and SPLAT! against the wall the egg exploded. This prompted gasps, laughter, and many different view points.
If you had the egg - you were hurt, scared, and dead
If you had the chicken- you were sad because your baby died
If you had the ACHS janitor- you were upset, annoyed, and angry
If you had the Random ACHS teacher on the other side of the building- You did not care much because it did not effect you
I had them come to their own conclusions about how this perspective activity related to privilege. Many students made connections to how you feel when you get pulled over by a police officer. Depending on who you are and the body you live in, you are either scared, upset, angry, or unaffected. We also explored the controversy behind this issue and related it to privilege.
This activity went smoothly in most of my classes... Aside from one class... Before I was about to throw the egg I was caught up in the suspense and excitement and I MISSED the paper, splatting raw egg all over the wall... The accident was a shocking and laughable moment but we still managed to have an in depth discussion and reflection despite the mishap. They even helped me clean it up afterwords! (Peep our Today I Choose poster in the top left!)
EW!!! Oh well, in order for learning to be effective sometimes things have to get messy.
Here is an example of one of my student's reaction and reflection representing the lesson this activity provided us:
Some other take away's that the students wrote down statements that threw shade at my throwing ability (or lack there of) so that was interesting, but I'm so happy the point was driven home in a meaningful and memorable way.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
We made sure to touch on a relevant issue in the media surrounding the NFL players kneeling and what they were kneeling for. Colin Kaepernick was a key topic of discussion and respectful debates were had, but in the end we all learned the important of using your brain to understand the history of race and racism, and how using that knowledge to use your voice to confront situations of injustice is important to creating a better world for everyone. One of my students brought up a quote by Kurt Cobain which reads "It is up to the youth to confront corruption." This really resonated with me because I told them that this knowledge could potentially be useless unless they use it to better themselves and to change the world in the seemingly little and big ways that I know they can, as long as they feel safe. From standing up for someone in the hallway to using their knowledge to know their rights and educate others about the importance of equality and social justice, any act of spreading equality and positivity matters through knowledge and action.
The videos that helped us break down race are found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnfKgffCZ7U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0qD2K2RWkc
The activity that was the highlight of their week was called Privilege Point of View. In this activity, the students picked a word out of a bag that assigned them a role in which they were to view an event from their perspective. The roles were as follows:
- The Egg
- The Chicken
- The ACHS Janitor
- A random teacher teaching in a room on the other side of the building
Hidden in my pocket was an egg and suddenly I threw it like a baseball and SPLAT! against the wall the egg exploded. This prompted gasps, laughter, and many different view points.
If you had the egg - you were hurt, scared, and dead
If you had the chicken- you were sad because your baby died
If you had the ACHS janitor- you were upset, annoyed, and angry
If you had the Random ACHS teacher on the other side of the building- You did not care much because it did not effect you
I had them come to their own conclusions about how this perspective activity related to privilege. Many students made connections to how you feel when you get pulled over by a police officer. Depending on who you are and the body you live in, you are either scared, upset, angry, or unaffected. We also explored the controversy behind this issue and related it to privilege.
This activity went smoothly in most of my classes... Aside from one class... Before I was about to throw the egg I was caught up in the suspense and excitement and I MISSED the paper, splatting raw egg all over the wall... The accident was a shocking and laughable moment but we still managed to have an in depth discussion and reflection despite the mishap. They even helped me clean it up afterwords! (Peep our Today I Choose poster in the top left!)
EW!!! Oh well, in order for learning to be effective sometimes things have to get messy.
Here is an example of one of my student's reaction and reflection representing the lesson this activity provided us:
Some other take away's that the students wrote down statements that threw shade at my throwing ability (or lack there of) so that was interesting, but I'm so happy the point was driven home in a meaningful and memorable way.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, October 30, 2017
Choosing Positivity & Introducing Implicit Bias
Welcome back from break ACHS students! Our break was filled with much needed rest and relaxation but with this break came the challenge of getting our brains back on school sleep schedule time! With the anticipated vibe of fatigue, I planned to start the new quarter off with a lesson on choosing positivity to help steer the direction rest of the semester.
To start, I had each class come up with a team name for our classes and vote on them. Here are our results:
Period 2 - Team Gucci
Period 3 - Team A$AP
Period 5 - Team YUWOP (Stands for YESS, Unity, non-material Wealth, Opportunity, Power)
Period 6 - Team Chicken Nuggets
Creativity at it's finest, am I right?
In each class we contributed to a "Team ___ Today We Choose..." poster where the kids were able to write a word, phrase, or quote for them to look at throughout the rest of the year when they are lacking motivation or having a bummer day. We all get in ruts where we find going the extra mile to be challenging and creeping negative inner monologue, so I wanted them to be able to help themselves stay focused when their goals fall to their peripherals because life happens! Being able to find motivation within yourself is so important in this life. We then watched a motivational video by our favorite Slam Poet, Prince Ea. Found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja-n5qUNRi8
In the video, he talks about the important of being present and passionate. He talks about using this one shot at life or "One Song" to chase down and achieve our dreams. He mentions how self doubt and negative self talk will steal these dreams from you like a thief in the night. "Struggle and criticism are prerequisites for greatness," he says affirming that negativity and life hurdles are unavoidable but it is how we handle these situations that defines who we are. This related back to the quote we talked about in the beginning of class, "You can't control the wind but you can adjust your sails."
This lesson was wonderful timing as we pressed the reset button and shifted our apathy to motivation to put in the work to get where we want to be. We choose to be positive and lean on each other for support when times get hard, this vital especially going into our lessons on Race where we needed to establish a level of comfortability and respect among everyone.
Race day 1 brought about many different and interesting discussions. We broke down Implicit Bias, learned other race related key terms, dove into our own unconscious assumptions, and recognized how these assumptions shape how we view ourselves and the world.
We then watched a video of an interview with our favorite rapper, Logic, where he describes his experience with being Bi-Racial in the media. (Caution: profanity used at 1:23, 3:11 - Video approved by Assistant Principal Mr. Duran)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X76EH5LY7pU
It was interesting to learn about how people feel the need to label others in order to make themselves feel comfortable. "It comes down to you knowing who you are," he says.
We also watched a short video that broke down the difference between race, ethnicity, and nationality and did a jelly bean demonstration & journal exercise to make sure we understood the difference and express any anxieties or confusion with our discussion that day.
On Friday, when I see all my classes, we started Fam Fridays in which my Mentor Leaders will begin their paid internships as our class leader. They are expected to help with positive class culture/relationship building, tutoring, and lesson feedback suggestions/concerns. Their first day went great as students used the chrome books to check in with each other on grades and missing assignments.
Overall, last week was the refreshing start we needed to hit the ground running with the last bit of the Community Unit. I'm looking forward to continuing our discussion and break down of Race this week!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
To start, I had each class come up with a team name for our classes and vote on them. Here are our results:
Period 2 - Team Gucci
Period 3 - Team A$AP
Period 5 - Team YUWOP (Stands for YESS, Unity, non-material Wealth, Opportunity, Power)
Period 6 - Team Chicken Nuggets
Creativity at it's finest, am I right?
In each class we contributed to a "Team ___ Today We Choose..." poster where the kids were able to write a word, phrase, or quote for them to look at throughout the rest of the year when they are lacking motivation or having a bummer day. We all get in ruts where we find going the extra mile to be challenging and creeping negative inner monologue, so I wanted them to be able to help themselves stay focused when their goals fall to their peripherals because life happens! Being able to find motivation within yourself is so important in this life. We then watched a motivational video by our favorite Slam Poet, Prince Ea. Found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja-n5qUNRi8
In the video, he talks about the important of being present and passionate. He talks about using this one shot at life or "One Song" to chase down and achieve our dreams. He mentions how self doubt and negative self talk will steal these dreams from you like a thief in the night. "Struggle and criticism are prerequisites for greatness," he says affirming that negativity and life hurdles are unavoidable but it is how we handle these situations that defines who we are. This related back to the quote we talked about in the beginning of class, "You can't control the wind but you can adjust your sails."
This lesson was wonderful timing as we pressed the reset button and shifted our apathy to motivation to put in the work to get where we want to be. We choose to be positive and lean on each other for support when times get hard, this vital especially going into our lessons on Race where we needed to establish a level of comfortability and respect among everyone.
Race day 1 brought about many different and interesting discussions. We broke down Implicit Bias, learned other race related key terms, dove into our own unconscious assumptions, and recognized how these assumptions shape how we view ourselves and the world.
We then watched a video of an interview with our favorite rapper, Logic, where he describes his experience with being Bi-Racial in the media. (Caution: profanity used at 1:23, 3:11 - Video approved by Assistant Principal Mr. Duran)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X76EH5LY7pU
It was interesting to learn about how people feel the need to label others in order to make themselves feel comfortable. "It comes down to you knowing who you are," he says.
We also watched a short video that broke down the difference between race, ethnicity, and nationality and did a jelly bean demonstration & journal exercise to make sure we understood the difference and express any anxieties or confusion with our discussion that day.
On Friday, when I see all my classes, we started Fam Fridays in which my Mentor Leaders will begin their paid internships as our class leader. They are expected to help with positive class culture/relationship building, tutoring, and lesson feedback suggestions/concerns. Their first day went great as students used the chrome books to check in with each other on grades and missing assignments.
Overall, last week was the refreshing start we needed to hit the ground running with the last bit of the Community Unit. I'm looking forward to continuing our discussion and break down of Race this week!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, October 23, 2017
Fall Break & Senior Night
Last week was full of productivity and much needed rest as Fall Break quickly approached Adams 14!
In the beginning of the week lesson planning for the next few months came into play for me as a teacher of the YESS program, this was vital as I have been working 6 days a week usually using my Sunday's to plan for the upcoming week. I now have the opportunity to actually have Sunday's to myself in the upcoming weeks! I am feeling prepared and relieved of stress, I am so thankful to have had this time to prepare and organize my office.
Although I had Wednesday through Friday off, I used part of my Friday to witness my senior YESS boys compete at their last home football game of their high school career. Carlos B, #2, made one of the only touch downs of the whole game! He is reportedly the fastest student in the school and he definitely lived up to this rumor! Kevin, #73, is a force I would NEVER want to see on the opposite team in front of me, he is nicknamed "the train" as he plows anything in his path. It was amazing to see them in action and experiencing their truest passion. I loved surprising them at the end of the game and getting to meet their families and express what a light in my life these two are. They make it a point to reach out to students who sit by themselves and come to my office after school just to talk about YESS lessons, life, and Netflix shows. These young men truly care about the people around them and getting the most out of life in more than just an academic sense. The year isn't even half-way over and I'm already starting to get emotional about them leaving my everyday life but I know they will go on to do amazing things. Remember these faces and these numbers because they will be scoring points on your TV one day! Below me in the photo is a Eagle Football fan and Mentor Leader of mine, Jen C, who is also killing it! We watched the game together and she surprised me by telling me that she just found out that she got a FULL RIDE to a handful of IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS!!!!!! Her dream of going to Notre Dame is now within reach. What a life milestone and accomplishment! She is a first generation college attendee and she reached this goal all by herself through consistently telling herself daily that the sky is the limit, she reached for something and grabbed it with passionate intention. I am so so so proud of all three of these intelligent, compassionate, determined, charming, unique, genuine young people, I am incomprehensibly lucky to be their teacher.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
In the beginning of the week lesson planning for the next few months came into play for me as a teacher of the YESS program, this was vital as I have been working 6 days a week usually using my Sunday's to plan for the upcoming week. I now have the opportunity to actually have Sunday's to myself in the upcoming weeks! I am feeling prepared and relieved of stress, I am so thankful to have had this time to prepare and organize my office.
Although I had Wednesday through Friday off, I used part of my Friday to witness my senior YESS boys compete at their last home football game of their high school career. Carlos B, #2, made one of the only touch downs of the whole game! He is reportedly the fastest student in the school and he definitely lived up to this rumor! Kevin, #73, is a force I would NEVER want to see on the opposite team in front of me, he is nicknamed "the train" as he plows anything in his path. It was amazing to see them in action and experiencing their truest passion. I loved surprising them at the end of the game and getting to meet their families and express what a light in my life these two are. They make it a point to reach out to students who sit by themselves and come to my office after school just to talk about YESS lessons, life, and Netflix shows. These young men truly care about the people around them and getting the most out of life in more than just an academic sense. The year isn't even half-way over and I'm already starting to get emotional about them leaving my everyday life but I know they will go on to do amazing things. Remember these faces and these numbers because they will be scoring points on your TV one day! Below me in the photo is a Eagle Football fan and Mentor Leader of mine, Jen C, who is also killing it! We watched the game together and she surprised me by telling me that she just found out that she got a FULL RIDE to a handful of IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS!!!!!! Her dream of going to Notre Dame is now within reach. What a life milestone and accomplishment! She is a first generation college attendee and she reached this goal all by herself through consistently telling herself daily that the sky is the limit, she reached for something and grabbed it with passionate intention. I am so so so proud of all three of these intelligent, compassionate, determined, charming, unique, genuine young people, I am incomprehensibly lucky to be their teacher.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, October 16, 2017
Half Week of Midterm Madness
Last week in the ACHS room consisted of a tutoring marathon! My mentor leaders have been selected and hired and last week they were not only announced but thrown into their new roles. We only had a half week because of Fall Break and that meant ... dun dun dun... MIDTERMS! My kids were highly stressed so I decided to give them that time to study for midterms and get tutoring from their shoulder partners. We did, however, start the tutoring off with a discussion about what being a scholar means to them, as getting in this mindset is crucial to understanding the importance of succeeding on their midterms. With our discussion defining what it means to be a scholar came the full circle of incorporating what we discussed the week before with values and goals. We considered academic goals and values and the things we needed to do, choices we needed to make, the expectations we hold for ourselves in order to achieve those goals. On the half day before break let out I told the students to get out a piece of paper and a pencil for my midterm. They all looked confused and bummed out because I told them the week before that we would not have a midterm, looks like I changed my mind! When they were ready to test I told them... JUST KIDDING! We are watching GooseBumps! The kids laughed and were so relieved, they needed a break from the stress that had built up from testing. The week we get back, our mentor leaders join in for our first Mentor Leader Luncheon where we will be discussing the upcoming lessons and any improvements they see fit to make to classroom culture. I'm so looking forward to the feedback and seeing my little leaders in their new roles as well as diving head first into Unit 2!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, October 9, 2017
Values, Goals, & Freaky Friday
This week in Ms. Castro's YESS class we made time capsules and identified out goals and values! This was a perfect time do dive into this lesson as next week is midterms and the beginning of our fall break here at Adams City.
Our time capsules included all of our interests at the moment as well as our hopes and dreams for the future. I am excited to hand these back to them at the end of the year so they can see how they have changed and hopefully improved!
The second part of the week was dedicated to both the Values lesson and the Goals lesson. The students were able to see how their values relate to their goals and how they can start to implement actions to achieve these goals. We talked about the difference between short term and long term goals and came up with a big list of values that students identify with in their personal lives. They used this list to reference when coming up with how they can improve both educationally, emotionally, and socially. We also reflected upon how the choices we make can either positively or negatively influence our goals. I gave them examples of choices I have made in my own life that have affected my goals in both ways to give them a better idea of what I was looking for as well as a look into where my success has stemmed from- it comes from making many mistakes along the way! Each table was encouraged to share theirs as well. We all learned more about each other as scholars, mentors/mentees, and as friends this week.
Since it is October the students and I decided that every Friday in October will be a Freaky Friday themed! This is where we take some time to share ghost stories. Last Friday was a blast as we played scary music and used our cell phones as flash lights to hold to our faces while we told personal accounts of paranormal activity. I haven't seen the kids so excited in a long while! It was a nice break from all the intense midterm prep they were doing. The vibe around the room was seasonal as heck, all we needed were some scary pumpkins and some candles to make the room complete! Maybe I will make that classroom culture adjustment next Freaky Friday :-)
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, October 2, 2017
Ms. Castro's Classroom Culture
HAPPY OCTOBER EVERYONE! It is my favorite time of the year, the weather is getting chilly and wonderful! On the other hand, the temperature drop means students are battling getting out of their cozy beds to make it to my class- And they're succeeding! Attendance has been better than ever and I am so proud of them for making good choices.
The YESS program at Adams City has been thriving due to the connections made during our activities. Last week was great because we had real conversations concerning all the components of Social-Emotional Learning. The students worked together with their mentor/mentee to identify real life examples of Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making and how they can apply it to their lives in school and outside of school. They got creative making sketches for each domain and broke down all the components belonging to each one. We discussed how the current event they are passionate about at the moment can be drawn back to at least one of these domains, as well as the struggles and positive experiences in life.
The second half of the week we submerged ourselves into the meaning of Culture and the different examples of it in our every day environment. The students were surprised to learn that Culture can be defined outside of different traditions and customs belonging to different places in the world- Culture can be cultivated and found right there in our room! Every student brings a special aspect to the class which makes our classroom culture so diverse while also creating a vibe of unity. Miss Diane was a visitor in the room and she discussed her own culture she grew up in and the students were shocked to hear about the difference between how they grew up and how she did. They were also shocked to learn about my upbringing and how the place in which I grew up was very similar to Adams City. As a person of color in a teaching position, I feel that it is important to be vulnerable with them in explaining where I come from, the obsticals I've overcome, and how my differences have made me who I am; they have made me strong.
Last week was also monumental because the Mentor Leaders for each class were interviewed and chosen!!! To share a private moment with my mentors and hear their passion behind wanting to be a leader and the events that have contributed to their success was extremely inspiring and moving, it made my week. A success that I will never forget is hearing one of my mentors answer an interview question asking, "who has been a mentor for you?" and her answer made me cry. She said that I was a mentor that changed her life (I had this student last year when I worked with students on drop-out prevention) and that she believes she would not have stayed in school if it wasn't for our weekly meetings. She told me that her career goals have been shifted into dreams of becoming a teacher because she said that she wants to be just like me, someone who creates a safe space free of judgement who loves each person individually. She said that YESS was her favorite class and that she loves coming every day and is ecstatic at the opportunity of being a Mentor Leader. Last week was extremely busy for me as a teacher and as a person so for me to stop and listen to her say these words really reset my battery and reminded me of why I chose this profession. It just goes to further prove that with genuine care for the well-being of students that YESS promotes brings students realizing their own potential - She will do great things one day, I'm so proud to have her as a student and have the opportunity to watch her blossom into a wonderful young woman.
I love my job so much! And I am exploding with gratitude for these young people in my life and for the opportunity to bring meaningful curriculum into their lives while fostering an environment that thrives from connection. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings for us.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
The YESS program at Adams City has been thriving due to the connections made during our activities. Last week was great because we had real conversations concerning all the components of Social-Emotional Learning. The students worked together with their mentor/mentee to identify real life examples of Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making and how they can apply it to their lives in school and outside of school. They got creative making sketches for each domain and broke down all the components belonging to each one. We discussed how the current event they are passionate about at the moment can be drawn back to at least one of these domains, as well as the struggles and positive experiences in life.
The second half of the week we submerged ourselves into the meaning of Culture and the different examples of it in our every day environment. The students were surprised to learn that Culture can be defined outside of different traditions and customs belonging to different places in the world- Culture can be cultivated and found right there in our room! Every student brings a special aspect to the class which makes our classroom culture so diverse while also creating a vibe of unity. Miss Diane was a visitor in the room and she discussed her own culture she grew up in and the students were shocked to hear about the difference between how they grew up and how she did. They were also shocked to learn about my upbringing and how the place in which I grew up was very similar to Adams City. As a person of color in a teaching position, I feel that it is important to be vulnerable with them in explaining where I come from, the obsticals I've overcome, and how my differences have made me who I am; they have made me strong.
Last week was also monumental because the Mentor Leaders for each class were interviewed and chosen!!! To share a private moment with my mentors and hear their passion behind wanting to be a leader and the events that have contributed to their success was extremely inspiring and moving, it made my week. A success that I will never forget is hearing one of my mentors answer an interview question asking, "who has been a mentor for you?" and her answer made me cry. She said that I was a mentor that changed her life (I had this student last year when I worked with students on drop-out prevention) and that she believes she would not have stayed in school if it wasn't for our weekly meetings. She told me that her career goals have been shifted into dreams of becoming a teacher because she said that she wants to be just like me, someone who creates a safe space free of judgement who loves each person individually. She said that YESS was her favorite class and that she loves coming every day and is ecstatic at the opportunity of being a Mentor Leader. Last week was extremely busy for me as a teacher and as a person so for me to stop and listen to her say these words really reset my battery and reminded me of why I chose this profession. It just goes to further prove that with genuine care for the well-being of students that YESS promotes brings students realizing their own potential - She will do great things one day, I'm so proud to have her as a student and have the opportunity to watch her blossom into a wonderful young woman.
I love my job so much! And I am exploding with gratitude for these young people in my life and for the opportunity to bring meaningful curriculum into their lives while fostering an environment that thrives from connection. I can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings for us.
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Mentoring 101
Last week was a HUGE week in the Y.E.S.S room! Two weeks ago my students went through a grueling interviewing process where they learned about the power of choice and identified what was important to them in regards to the person they wanted to be matched with for the year. It was awesome to see the students really advocate for themselves in the sense that they really took the interviewing "speed matching" activity very seriously as they were in search of their partner. Mentee's and Mentor's all had their own say in who they were paired up with and the results were revealed!
The classroom environment has shifted slightly to a more focused energy because of the seat change but they are excited to get to know the people they chose more and more each day. We discussed the mentors in history, mentor and mentee pairs in celebrity culture, and the different examples of mentors we experience in every day life. They were then encouraged to get to know each other more with an "about me" interviewing activity to foster a stronger bond and relationship to build off of.
The quote "It takes a village to raise a child" was brought up in relation to the students and how they help each other out, have each other's backs, and attribute each other to their success. Receiving help is never a bad thing, but rather courageous, because you learn to set the ego aside and appreciate the selfless compassion being offered from another person who cares about your well-being and success.
The classroom environment has shifted slightly to a more focused energy because of the seat change but they are excited to get to know the people they chose more and more each day. We discussed the mentors in history, mentor and mentee pairs in celebrity culture, and the different examples of mentors we experience in every day life. They were then encouraged to get to know each other more with an "about me" interviewing activity to foster a stronger bond and relationship to build off of.
The quote "It takes a village to raise a child" was brought up in relation to the students and how they help each other out, have each other's backs, and attribute each other to their success. Receiving help is never a bad thing, but rather courageous, because you learn to set the ego aside and appreciate the selfless compassion being offered from another person who cares about your well-being and success.
Monday, September 18, 2017
This Week in the ACHS YESS Room
Last week my students finished up their Identity Tattoos. Each design has 6 symbols incorporated into one piece: What they're most passionate about, their most prized material possession, their most prized non-material possession, their education and career goals, 3 hidden descriptive words and use of their life motto/quote in the banner. A lot of the kids went all out, it was amazing to see them dive into their creativity together! We discussed the benefits of art therapy and the importance of creative expression in understanding our emotions.
Students then spent the last half of last week completing interviews so that we can get everyone paired with their mentors/mentees. It was fun seeing them interview each other and gain an understanding of one another on a one on one level with great intention for connection in order to find the best match. This week we begin our seat changes based on who got paired with who and we'll be diving into pair introductions & Mentoring 101!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Students then spent the last half of last week completing interviews so that we can get everyone paired with their mentors/mentees. It was fun seeing them interview each other and gain an understanding of one another on a one on one level with great intention for connection in order to find the best match. This week we begin our seat changes based on who got paired with who and we'll be diving into pair introductions & Mentoring 101!
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, September 11, 2017
Officially 1 Month In!
Happy Monday, all!
Last week in Ms. Castro's ACHS Y.E.S.S classroom we experienced a fun and challenging week and discovered more about ourselves and about each other.
We brainstormed and discussed the different aspects of community. All of these topics were very vital to the creation of culture within the classroom due to our goal of creating trust within the room. This trust allows the students to freely give thoughts and opinions without a fear of judgement- my class is their safe space.
As a class we broke out into groups and worked together to define the different types of communities that can exist, the challenges that go along with being a part of a community, what is/is not a community, why we need community, and how we create community.
The kids worked in groups with people who they had not previously interacted with before so it was interesting to see the social dynamic shift and assess whether they were comfortable working together and giving equal input- Turns out, they totally were! It was a great way to measure how comfort ability was being built in the room.
After the community lesson we moved onto the lesson belonging to the Coat of Arms project. Students who had been in the YESS classroom last year had completed the "Coat of Arms" lesson and this year I revamped the lesson to fit their high school interests by making the project centered around designing their own tattoo! The lesson was catered to every level of artistic skill and also kept the core values belonging to the building of identity that the Coat of Arms revealed.
Example:
They expressed their passions, material/non material prized possessions, educational goals, personal characteristic attributes, and a quote they live by. Labor day put us behind a day in lessons but that did not stop us! The kids have been working diligently on their designs by learning how to make the components of themselves merge into one creative and dynamic image that represents the core of their being.
Their projects are due when they walk in the door next class and I can't wait to share with you all the explosions of creativity and uniqueness that they came up with!
Later this week we will begin pairing mentors and mentees- stay tuned for the details of our next culture building lesson in Y.E.S.S!
Until next Monday,
Ms. Castro
Last week in Ms. Castro's ACHS Y.E.S.S classroom we experienced a fun and challenging week and discovered more about ourselves and about each other.
We brainstormed and discussed the different aspects of community. All of these topics were very vital to the creation of culture within the classroom due to our goal of creating trust within the room. This trust allows the students to freely give thoughts and opinions without a fear of judgement- my class is their safe space.
As a class we broke out into groups and worked together to define the different types of communities that can exist, the challenges that go along with being a part of a community, what is/is not a community, why we need community, and how we create community.
The kids worked in groups with people who they had not previously interacted with before so it was interesting to see the social dynamic shift and assess whether they were comfortable working together and giving equal input- Turns out, they totally were! It was a great way to measure how comfort ability was being built in the room.
After the community lesson we moved onto the lesson belonging to the Coat of Arms project. Students who had been in the YESS classroom last year had completed the "Coat of Arms" lesson and this year I revamped the lesson to fit their high school interests by making the project centered around designing their own tattoo! The lesson was catered to every level of artistic skill and also kept the core values belonging to the building of identity that the Coat of Arms revealed.
Example:
They expressed their passions, material/non material prized possessions, educational goals, personal characteristic attributes, and a quote they live by. Labor day put us behind a day in lessons but that did not stop us! The kids have been working diligently on their designs by learning how to make the components of themselves merge into one creative and dynamic image that represents the core of their being.
Their projects are due when they walk in the door next class and I can't wait to share with you all the explosions of creativity and uniqueness that they came up with!
Later this week we will begin pairing mentors and mentees- stay tuned for the details of our next culture building lesson in Y.E.S.S!
Until next Monday,
Ms. Castro
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Start of the New Year!
Adams City YESS Program is back in session! And with new leadership! My name is Erica Castro and I served at Adams City High School last year as an Americorps Colorado Youth for a Change member serving students with drop-out intervention and emotional resource services.
I am so happy to back as a familiar face in my new role as a teacher here as I have waited for the day I get to be in front of a classroom for a very long time. I am passionate about the social-emotional curriculum belonging to YESS and my enthusiasm in the classroom shows it as I am excited to spice things up this year.
We have been working on creating trust within our classroom community by engaging in "get to know you activities" and diving into the beginning stages of the YESS curriculum. Last week we also took this opportunity in history to discuss a topic that effects 95% of my student body, the topic of discrimination and the current events surrounding that issue.
We discussed the events that took place in Charlottesville recently, including the victim of deadly violence, Heather Heyer. The conversation could have gone many ways but we were careful to focus on the effects of discrimination and racism using resources based off of Courageous Conversations lectures. We also learned about the importance of equality, inclusiveness, and compassion. The end assignment was to write a letter, which I plan on mailing to the foundation, to Heather Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, who we all saw speak at the Video Music Award's (a MTV music show the kids are into) about the importance of what Heather Heyer died for; equality for all and justice for the marginalized. As someone who serves a student body made up primarily young people of color, I felt that it was imperative to teach them that there are people out there fighting for them and for the greater good of all. And most importantly, how crucial it is to stand up for what is right in their own lives. Here is what a few them had to say to Ms. Susan about what we learned that day:
As of this week we have been focusing on more trust building and identity exploring activities. We will continue to go through the yarn toss exercise where we share out our favorite memories and recall every one else's favorite memories, we have touched on how we are all in one web as a community unit standing in solidarity with one another and discussed how when one person lets go the strength of our web weakens.
Later in the week we will be creating Identity Tattoos. I took the Coat of Arms lesson and changed it to fit the interests of my student demographic, they will be creating designs that represent their core being and the activities, interests, and people important to them.
With the current DACA headlines currently flowing through the media, it is important to me to address their anxieties and have their voices be heard as well as provide them with facts and comfort so I will be taking a portion of the end of the week's lessons to do so using a document created by The Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
I have had a great start to my year here with these kids and I am loving every day I get to serve them in this capacity as this is truly my dream job.
Many more class updates to come!
Until next time,
Ms. Castro
I am so happy to back as a familiar face in my new role as a teacher here as I have waited for the day I get to be in front of a classroom for a very long time. I am passionate about the social-emotional curriculum belonging to YESS and my enthusiasm in the classroom shows it as I am excited to spice things up this year.
We have been working on creating trust within our classroom community by engaging in "get to know you activities" and diving into the beginning stages of the YESS curriculum. Last week we also took this opportunity in history to discuss a topic that effects 95% of my student body, the topic of discrimination and the current events surrounding that issue.
We discussed the events that took place in Charlottesville recently, including the victim of deadly violence, Heather Heyer. The conversation could have gone many ways but we were careful to focus on the effects of discrimination and racism using resources based off of Courageous Conversations lectures. We also learned about the importance of equality, inclusiveness, and compassion. The end assignment was to write a letter, which I plan on mailing to the foundation, to Heather Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, who we all saw speak at the Video Music Award's (a MTV music show the kids are into) about the importance of what Heather Heyer died for; equality for all and justice for the marginalized. As someone who serves a student body made up primarily young people of color, I felt that it was imperative to teach them that there are people out there fighting for them and for the greater good of all. And most importantly, how crucial it is to stand up for what is right in their own lives. Here is what a few them had to say to Ms. Susan about what we learned that day:
As of this week we have been focusing on more trust building and identity exploring activities. We will continue to go through the yarn toss exercise where we share out our favorite memories and recall every one else's favorite memories, we have touched on how we are all in one web as a community unit standing in solidarity with one another and discussed how when one person lets go the strength of our web weakens.
Later in the week we will be creating Identity Tattoos. I took the Coat of Arms lesson and changed it to fit the interests of my student demographic, they will be creating designs that represent their core being and the activities, interests, and people important to them.
With the current DACA headlines currently flowing through the media, it is important to me to address their anxieties and have their voices be heard as well as provide them with facts and comfort so I will be taking a portion of the end of the week's lessons to do so using a document created by The Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
I have had a great start to my year here with these kids and I am loving every day I get to serve them in this capacity as this is truly my dream job.
Many more class updates to come!
Until next time,
Ms. Castro
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Happy Summer Break YESS Students!
Congratulations ACHS students on completing another year of high school! It was finals week at ACHS this week. Students in their YESS classes organized end of the year potluck celebrations. Students had the opportunity to do some extra studying for their other classes and catch up on any missing work. Students also had time to say goodbye to their mentors/mentees. The majority of the ACHS students in YESS expressed a desire to be in YESS for the upcoming school year, and many of the mentees requested to be mentors for their junior year. Happy summer break to all of the YESS students at ACHS!
Monday, May 22, 2017
Congratulations Graduates!
It was the last week of school before finals at ACHS. Students had extra time to complete missing work and study for their finals in their YESS classes. This week students learned about resumes and cover letters. Students had the opportunity to critique several resumes and discuss what they should and should not put on their resume, how to format them, and effective ways to communicate their skill sets. In some classes students are working on their own cover letters and resumes for extra credit.
This weekend was the high school graduation for ACHS students! Angel, Fernanda and Tony (former YESS student) all received top honors for maintaining a 4.0 GPA or higher over their four years of high school. Fernanda gave a beautiful and impassioned valedictorian speech about overcoming challenges and fears and not giving up on your goals. She discussed overcoming her fear of public speaking while addressing a stadium full of people.
Congratulations Angel, Fernanda, Grace, Julissa, Noah, and Ricardo on graduating high school! The YESS community is so proud of all of you.
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| Fernanda and Ms. Salyer |
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
End of Year Celebration!
It was a busy week at ACHS with the end of the year celebration and the last week of high school for seniors! Congratulations to Grace Elia for receiving one of the YESS scholarships that was awarded at the year end event. Also, congratulations to Destiny and Brandon, who received mentor and mentee of the year awards respectively. I would also like to thank all of the speakers from ACHS for doing such a great job last Wednesday, including Daniel, Genavee, Fernanda and Angel. The event was a huge success and ACHS was excited to be a part of it this year!
I would also like to congratulate Grace Elia and Julissa Martinez who both received the All Ways Up Scholarship. This is a four year renewable scholarship for $2,500!
I would also like to congratulate Grace Elia and Julissa Martinez who both received the All Ways Up Scholarship. This is a four year renewable scholarship for $2,500!
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| Grace Receiving the YESS Scholarship |
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| Genavee, Adams City's most enthusiastic Broncos fan, teaches her classmates some cheer moves while waiting for the event to start |
Monday, May 8, 2017
College
This week at ACHS juniors and seniors had the opportunity to work with Emily on college navigation for the last time this semester. In class, we began a our short unit on college and post secondary education. Students discussed questions and fears they had about going to college. Students then broke into groups where each group chose a topic related to post secondary education to research and then present to the class. Some of these topics included study abroad, the difference between public and private universities, the differences between technical college, junior college and community college, and what things do colleges consider in the admissions process. At the end of the week students read statements about successful first generation college students such as, "first generation college students were most successful when they knew who to talk to about academic support." Students then discussed these statements and were encouraged to brainstorm who at their own high school could be part of their support system when they start applying for college.
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| Students present their research on study abroad program |
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| Students wrote their questions and fears about college on the board |
Monday, May 1, 2017
Consequences
This week at ACHS students learned about different personality types and the careers that match each of the personalities. Students brainstormed ways in which each personality type might approach a challenge. Students were then encouraged to think about what personality types they most identified with and why. Later in the week students completed an activity to help them think about the impact of the choices they make through a lesson on consequences. Students brainstormed different scenarios as a group and worked through the different choices they could make in each scenario and how these choices might impact their future. Students then broke into smaller groups to complete scenario stations.
Thank you Fernanda and Angel for taking time out of your busy senior schedules to attend the YESS breakfast on Wednesday!
Thank you Fernanda and Angel for taking time out of your busy senior schedules to attend the YESS breakfast on Wednesday!
| Consequences Scenario |
Monday, April 24, 2017
Prom and Spirit Week!
This week was filled with spirit week and prom excitement at ACHS! Students learned about teen dating abuse in their YESS classes. Students learned what to look for in an abusive relationship and discussed the connections between dating abuse and bullying. Some classes also had the opportunity to learn about two bills that are currently in the Colorado House that relate to technology and teen dating abuse. Students had a mock debate using these two bills. After the debate students discussed what kind of bill they would like to see passed in Colorado based on their own experiences and what they had learned from the debate.
At the end of the week one of our mentor leaders designed a lesson to guide us into our final unit of the semester. The lesson gave students an introduction to life after high school and got students thinking about their future education and career goals. Students researched the cost of living in areas they might want to live in after they graduate, and began thinking about what kinds of careers would support their desired lifestyles.
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| Debate Prep |
Monday, April 17, 2017
Bullying Continued
It was a short week at ACHS with the SAT/PSAT and and PARCC tests taking place. At the beginning of the week we took some time out of our normal class period to go over the SAT test, how it is structured, why it is important, and how scores are used. Students had time to look at a practice test and ask questions about the different sections, timing and scoring.
At the end of the week students continued their unit on bullying with a lesson and discussion on microagressions. Students discussed how microagressions show up in their own lives and in school, and they identified why microagressions could be a form of bullying, such as people asking "what are you?" or "that's gay". Students discussed how it is often assumed that they speak Spanish, or how they will get complimented on how well they speak English by adults at school.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Love Cup, Emo Trolls and Bullying
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| Emo Trolls |
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| Love Cups |
Monday, March 27, 2017
Congratulations Daniels Fund Scholars!
It was an exciting week at ACHS with both of our mentor leaders, and one of our mentors from last semester, being awarded the Daniels Fund Scholarship! This is a comprehensive scholarship that provides students the opportunity to obtain a four year college education at any accredited nonprofit college or university in the U.S. (see link at the bottom of page). Fernanda plans to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, Angel is deciding between Regis University and University of Denver, and Tony plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines.
This week students spent time getting caught up with their work before spring break. Emily, our college navigator, worked with juniors on college and scholarship research. Juniors are putting together spreadsheets with all of their research so that they can reference them in the fall. Students ended the week with several art project centered around emotions, which will be featured in the blog next week.
Happy Spring Break!!!
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| Congratulations Fernanda and Angel! |
http://www.danielsfund.org/Scholarships/
Monday, March 20, 2017
Growth Mindset
This week at ACHS students continued learning about healthy relationships and belief systems. Students watched a series of performance arts videos, including slam poetry and hip hop theater, where artists discussed various aspects of their identities and how these experiences have shaped how they view the world, and how people see them. Students were then encouraged to use their multicultural identity maps to think about how their identities help to shape their unique own perspectives.
Later in the week students learned about growth mindset. Students watched a Ted Talk discussing Carol Dweck's research on intelligence and mindset, students then brainstormed ways in which their mindset could either be limiting or empowering.
Later in the week students learned about growth mindset. Students watched a Ted Talk discussing Carol Dweck's research on intelligence and mindset, students then brainstormed ways in which their mindset could either be limiting or empowering.
| Multicultural Identity Map |
| Limiting and Empowering Beliefs |
Monday, March 13, 2017
Midterms!
We are officially half way through the semester at ACHS after a very short three day week! This week students had midterms in all of their classes, and they had extra study and homework time in their YESS classes. Students took a short midterm in their YESS class where they were encouraged to reflect on communication, conflict resolution, and the relationships in their lives. Students also wrote short essays on their identity and emotions.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Belief Systems and Identity
This week, students began a multi day lesson on beliefs and emotions. We started off the week listening to a piece of music, during which students were instructed to draw or write what they were feeling or thinking as they listened. Students then shared the drawings or writing in small groups. This led us into a discussion on why each person's experience with the music was different. Students then broke out into groups and came up with working definitions for culture, identity and beliefs system. Students then completed an exercise on identity and were then encouraged to think about their own identity through an art project.
With midterms coming up next week, students were given extra time to complete homework and studying with their mentors.
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| Identity art project |
Monday, February 27, 2017
EmoSmart
Adams City High School students had a very short three day week last week. Classes finished up lessons on conflict resolution and learned about how our emotions impact the goals we set. Students worked on setting goals for the rest of the semester based on the YESS EmoSmart goal format. Students then set goals for their midterms using what they learned about EmoSmart goals. Students had time to work with their mentors on setting goals for their classes and getting caught up on their homework.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Team Building with New Mentors
This was an exciting week at ACHS as YESS students were paired with their new mentee/mentor. Students participated in fun team building activities this week and mentors attended a mentor training organized by the mentor leaders. This week students began learning about emotional intelligence and how to set EmoSmart goals.Students identified the seven universal emotions and then discussed effective goal setting as it relates to emotions. YESS classes were very small and quiet on Thursday with many of the students participating in the Day Without Immigrants.
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| Students work in teams to build the tallest balloon tower using only balloons and tape |
Monday, February 13, 2017
Conflict Resolution
This week at ACHS students learned about health conflict resolution. Students brainstormed conflicts in their own lives and the consequences of those conflicts. Students then made their own charts with steps for healthy conflict resolution. At the end of the week Emily came in to do a group resume activity with students. Students identified the strengths within their groups to build a resume that included all of their skill sets.
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| Conflict Resolution |
Monday, February 6, 2017
Communication
Students continued learning about communication this week. In class students discussed the different ways in which we communicate, and which forms of communication they feel are most effective and why. Students completed a lesson on code switching and learned about the different ways we communicate with the various people in our networks based on our relationship to them. At the end of the week students completed an active listening role play activity and played some fun games centered around communication.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Congratulations Angel and Fernanda!
This week at ACHS we began talking about healthy communication. Students discussed the different ways through which they communicate and completed role play activities. Juniors and seniors had the opportunity to work with Emily this week where they learned about post secondary options and researched programs they might be interested in for the future.
The finalists for the Daniels Fund scholarship were announced and our two mentor leaders, Fernanda and Angel, were selected! They will have their interviews later this semester. Congratulations!!!
The finalists for the Daniels Fund scholarship were announced and our two mentor leaders, Fernanda and Angel, were selected! They will have their interviews later this semester. Congratulations!!!
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| YESS shirts designed by Le Tia, Destiny and Ariana |
Monday, January 23, 2017
Week 3: Healthy Relationships
The YESS program wrapped up their short unit on Martin Luther King Jr. this week. The mentor leaders facilitated some fun activities and discussions with the mentors about working with mentees and their goals for the semester. The mentor leaders also taught a lesson on healthy relationships. Students used their personal network maps from last semester to identify which relationships in their lives they felt were healthy and which they felt were unhealthy and then identified why.
Angel leads discussion on healthy vs. unhealthy relationships
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Week Two: Introductions and MLK Jr.
YESS students had another short week at ACHS because of testing days and a practice snow delay! Even day classes had an intro to YESS on Monday and had discussions around the role of mentors and mentees in their YESS class. Classes also discussed community norms and values and what they expected from their peers and teacher in their YESS class.
This week students participated in discussions around the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr. Students were encouraged to share what they knew about MLK and the civil rights movement either from school, their own research or from the media. Students then read excerpts from some of his lesser known speeches. Students were then encouraged to think critically about how Martin Luther King Jr. is portrayed today, and to think about which of his ideas and values are discussed frequently, and which of his teachings are lesser known and why.
This week students participated in discussions around the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr. Students were encouraged to share what they knew about MLK and the civil rights movement either from school, their own research or from the media. Students then read excerpts from some of his lesser known speeches. Students were then encouraged to think critically about how Martin Luther King Jr. is portrayed today, and to think about which of his ideas and values are discussed frequently, and which of his teachings are lesser known and why.
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| Community Norms and Values |
Monday, January 9, 2017
First Week of the Spring Semester at ACHS
This week students arrived back at school after winter break. Many of the YESS classes have lots of new faces so students had an opportunity to learn about the program and do some team building activities. Students got hear about each other's' winter breaks and learn a bit about their classmates through some fun games. The first week of school was especially short due to a snow day on Thursday, so the ACHS YESS program is look forward to meeting the rest of the students for even day classes next week!
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