FLEX period at AHS by Kathleen Christy

kchristy2 — 2024-04-17 20:03:45 UTC

kchristy2 — 2024-04-17 20:07:24 UTC

recruitment

2024-04-26 18:03:58 UTC

I used this as an opportunity to recruit students who wouldnt otherwise take ag classes and FFA to come to the program. Several students have decided to take coursework and join FFA. The human animal interaction is something I believe in and have taught how to conduct yourself properly around animals and connected that to human interaction in accordance with PBIS. All 5 experiences have been beautiful. Kids need to be exposed to the natural world. Particularly animals. it has attracted the right kind of kids to Ag that choose it because they want to be down here not because they didnt have a choice.

Nothing really bad

2024-04-26 18:05:03 UTC

Id like to have more SPED kids and middle school kids be able to have equity in choosing a program.

Make the time period longer

2024-04-26 18:25:15 UTC

The kids get so in to it they want more time.

Schedule

2024-04-26 18:26:19 UTC

I dont think we should do it weekly unless we do club meetings intermediately.

Engagement

ssmith154 — 2024-04-26 18:27:58 UTC

Kids really liked it and 8th graders, in particular, were really excited every Monday to sign up for it

Well-liked

2024-04-26 18:28:24 UTC

Most of my kids have positive feedback, like the time, and have indicated they would like it to continue (most say with more frequency).

The Good

2024-04-26 18:28:25 UTC

It motivated several students to get to passing because they wanted to participate. It allowed students to be introduced to new things and discover new interests. A lot of students were excited on FLEX days and it impacted behavior.

Connection

2024-04-26 18:28:39 UTC

I really liked that it was a good way to connect with students outside of an academic setting.

Sign Up

ssmith154 — 2024-04-26 18:28:44 UTC

Middle School (especially girls choir students) got the shaft when it came to sign up times/choices

Bumping

ssmith154 — 2024-04-26 18:29:09 UTC

Lots of students got mysteriously switched/removed from courses they signed up for

Engagement

2024-04-26 18:29:15 UTC

Students seemed to really enjoy it.

Student Enthusiasm

drichters — 2024-04-26 18:29:52 UTC

It took the juniors a few experiences to buy-in, but the last few weeks they have shown significantly more interest in the offerings and a desire to get into specific offerings.

Moving students

nv2784uu — 2024-04-26 18:30:01 UTC

There were kids that were very upset that they were moved from the class they signed up for without being talked to about it.

Sign Up

2024-04-26 18:30:01 UTC

Middle school got hit hard with the lack of opportunities they could sign up for. Many things were full by the time girl's choir was able to sign up. It also seemed that kids would get bumped super easily from what they signed up, and was frustrating from an administrative/sign up perspective.

Identify Offerings per Month

2024-04-26 18:30:23 UTC

Creating a monthly schedule of what is being offered so others can see when creating their offerings, and to potentially rotate students for more equity in options.

Peer Pressure

2024-04-26 18:30:28 UTC

I felt like kids just signed up for some classes because that is what their friends were doing, not because it was something that interested them.

Student sign up

2024-04-26 18:31:22 UTC

It would be nice if the students could sign up themselves and then they quickly meet with their homeroom teacher to verify the made the most appropriate (or required) selections.

Students Self-schedule

2024-04-26 18:32:25 UTC

Utilize the self-scheduling option in Infinite so students can register on their own time. Would likely solve some of the "bad" feedback regarding available options and hectic homerooms.

Sign Up

ssmith154 — 2024-04-26 18:32:28 UTC

Have 7th/8th grade girls choir or all middle schoolers in general email their HR teacher early on Monday to get signed up?

Rotate sign ups (every other Monday the JH students sign up and Tuesdays the Senior High sign up)

Flex was great for building community among the students.

2024-04-26 18:32:30 UTC

Seems like the kids liked it

2024-04-26 18:33:38 UTC

They need a break from the pressures of school

We were told it wouldn't be "extra work" but it actually became an extra chore at the end of the day... also, scheduling was a nightmare--- could the designers of this "program" also be the schedulers? Some staff ended up with a "free period"- fairness issue. Lastly, sometimes, things that work best for the high school don't make the best fit if trying to have a "middle school concept" within the same building

2024-04-26 18:34:24 UTC

Middle School Solution?

2024-04-26 18:34:30 UTC

It would be nice if there were a few more options for middle school or if other teachers opened up their rooms to more middle school students.

Specific Days

2024-04-26 18:34:34 UTC

If we were to do this every day, I think a couple days should be dedicated to academic enrichment only. Debates, looking at data, maps, critical thinking, philosophy, etc.

Students can only take a specific FLEX option once or twice that way it opens up for other students to try.

"Only my kids"

2024-04-26 18:35:35 UTC

Why are there offerings that only some kids get to go to? This doesn't seem to fit the intent.

Recess or Enrichment?

2024-04-26 18:36:54 UTC

If kids need recess, so be it. If i is supposed to be enrichment, then what are the parameters surrounding offerings?

The good

2024-04-26 18:37:26 UTC

Good relationship building time.

Schedule

2024-04-26 18:37:36 UTC

If we do keep FLEX time, I only want it to be one day a week. Clubs could meet on an every other week basis, up to the discretion of each club/activity advisor.

The Good

2024-04-26 18:38:29 UTC

Junior high kids really liked it. They needed that time to do something that interests them. Great for building relationships.

annerlandson — 2024-04-26 18:38:48 UTC

The scheduling took up much of the Monday homeroom. They need to be able to sign themselves up.

Failing Grade Reports

2024-04-26 18:39:04 UTC

Have the ability to run an in-progress F report as a classroom teacher for registering those into structured study halls.

Engagement and Excitement

ldemars4 — 2024-04-26 18:39:08 UTC

Kids were excited when they came to school in the morning to have their flex class. They were talking about it to adults and their friends.

2024-04-26 18:39:56 UTC

Middle school kids didn't have enough offerings - especially physically active ones. They got left out of a lot of the 9-12 only offerings. Many offerings were locked out by the time 5A homeroom started.

Lots of good

2024-04-26 18:40:12 UTC

It was good that kids, were able to participate in what they wanted and/or needed. The kids who needed more active movement were able to do that. Those who needed a quiet area to work or decompress were able to do that as well.

Flex every week gets to be a lot. Maybe offer once every two weeks. Or alternate with a Club Meeting Schedule or a Character Strong Schedule.

2024-04-26 18:40:22 UTC

annerlandson — 2024-04-26 18:41:04 UTC

Frequency. Once a week was too often, esp. when it was on a Character Strong week. Those double down days were exhausting.

Good

2024-04-26 18:41:25 UTC

It is great for building relationships outside of having them in a core class they are required to take.

Burnout/Funding

2024-04-26 18:42:16 UTC

Coming up with new offerings could become a lot of work with an already full workload. However, coming up with fun ideas could potentially be a lot easier if money was allocated toward this for next year.

Others

2024-04-26 18:42:35 UTC

If it could work out, it would be awesome if teachers could check out other teachers offerings. I'd like to go check out some offerings. Meeting a dairy cow? Hell yeah.

2024-04-26 18:42:38 UTC

Felt that the ones who had reservations about doing Flex were forced into doing it--- a show of hands vote pretty much puts people on the spot publicly--- I do like this method (thank you)

Kids sign themselves up

2024-04-26 18:42:56 UTC

I think it would work more smoothly and be more fair if kids were able to register for Flex themselves.

The Good

2024-04-26 18:43:55 UTC

It helped kids see that teachers are just one subject orientated.

Middle School Flex and HS Flex

2024-04-26 18:43:56 UTC

I think it would be better if Flex could be separate. 7-9 and 10-12

2024-04-26 18:44:38 UTC

It was a nice way of breaking up the normal grinding school schedule.

The bad

2024-04-26 18:44:41 UTC

Students seemed mostly interested in just signing up for activities that their friends were in. I'm all for bonding and creating positive culture, but didn't seem like most were looking for an enrichment. Following a different time schedule once a week is tiring. Attendance for structured study was was really poor for at the junior and senior level.

Student Sign up & middle school

2024-04-26 18:44:53 UTC

Allowing students to sign themselves up might help with that major influx of responses at one time.

Doing some flip-flopping so that middle school kids could get some of the options that were only offered to 9-12 students.

When a teacher creates a listing, can they also add their listing to the spreadsheet of choices at the same time to take some work off of Kathy's plate?

Multi-day enrichment opportunities

2024-04-26 18:45:00 UTC

Tough to do more complex things in one 40 min period per week - I am thinking things like debate, video production, mock trial

The Good

2024-04-26 18:45:19 UTC

Kids had fun, and got to have student choice in picking what they wanted to do. It was fun for them, even when there were 7-12 grade students together in the same classroom.

The Bad

2024-04-26 18:45:22 UTC

Not knowing what type of offerings to have. Mine weren't selected, and then I wound up with a study hall.

Scheduling

drichters — 2024-04-26 18:45:30 UTC

It was tough when it also doubled down on character strong days. The modified schedule did not allow for us to get through our C.S. lessons.

Different Perspective

2024-04-26 18:45:32 UTC

I think students enjoyed seeing their teachers in a non-academic setting. It gives them a glimpse to us as "people" with interests outside our subject matter, which helps build relationships.

I like that I had the opportunity to share personal skills and interests with my students.

2024-04-26 18:45:33 UTC

2024-04-26 18:45:36 UTC

I didn't see anything bad. Just infinite campus issues when signing kids up.

annerlandson — 2024-04-26 18:45:42 UTC

If someone didn't have any students sign up... or maybe like 3 or less, they should be sure to change their offering for the next week(s). This should be part of the directive.

Equity

2024-04-26 18:46:14 UTC

I was not a fan of having others schedule students in my offering.

Also not a fan of always being the structured study hall.

Putting on a flex class hit my pocket book a little hard since I had to come up with my own materials.

2024-04-26 18:46:26 UTC

The Good

2024-04-26 18:46:27 UTC

From what I observed with the students I need to schedule for FLEX offering, they are now working hard to get their grades up so they can go to the FLEX offering they want to go to.

Adds Variety

2024-04-26 18:46:31 UTC

Adds variety to kids' day and activities they get to participate in. Got kids interacting with each other. Added fun and excitement to break up routine that can feel monotonous. Motivated kids to pass classes. Build relationships between staff and students. Kids in various grades got to mix. Kids got to have some new experiences.

Things staff discusses

ldemars4 — 2024-04-26 18:46:39 UTC

Broke up the regular school day

It was Fun

Fun to see kids out of an academic setting

Choice

CTE exposure

Some motivation to pass classes

Schedule & Grades

2024-04-26 18:47:31 UTC

Two FLEX offerings a week would be nice, so that kids who didn't get into their first choice one day could try for the second day.

Can teachers have the option in Infinite Campus to run their own grade-level F report?

2024-04-26 18:47:48 UTC

I think having it in the middle of the day rather than at the end of the day.

Solutions or ideas

2024-04-26 18:48:47 UTC

I think if we did this on a daily basis it would help with some of the issues and would be really used to get kids what they need/want. Study halls, club meetings, fun (or enrichment if you want to call it that).

Schedule

2024-04-26 18:48:55 UTC

If this is something we are doing next year it would be ideal to know at the beginning of the school year what days it is happening and to have it a consistent day of the week. The change in schedule this year made it difficult when having guest speakers/other scheduled experiences scheduled months earlier.

Special Education

ldemars4 — 2024-04-26 18:50:07 UTC

Rotation of structured study hall

Scheduling/Offerings

2024-04-26 18:50:34 UTC

Kids trying to switch after being scheduled. Middle Schoolers not having enough options either because they got signed up after all 9-12 or not enough sessions open to 7-8.

F's

2024-04-26 18:50:47 UTC

I think we are setting the bar really low with only those with multiple F's getting placed in structured study halls.

Character Strong Days

ldemars4 — 2024-04-26 18:52:33 UTC

Have these on a different day or time

Special Ed Students

ldemars4 — 2024-04-26 18:53:25 UTC

Should these students be placed in a structured study hall or a special ed study hall?

Think Like Students

2024-04-26 18:53:28 UTC

Some staff were offended when students didn't sign up for their offerings. I love the idea of introducing students to new skills, but we should remember that we are catering to teenagers and their interests are different than adults.

Structured study hall...

2024-04-26 18:54:23 UTC

Putting that many students that are failing 2 classes or more in 1 room is not an ideal way to get work done. But it is an effective way to keep them out of the way for other students.

Next Year Concern

drichters — 2024-04-26 18:56:33 UTC

If we do this next year and have just one of the days dedicated to clubs we are going to have a large number of kids that are getting pulled between several clubs. I can see club advisors (myself included) getting frustrated when we need to see all of the kids in our activity/club but they are in one of their other club meetings.

Not much for Interventions Happened

2024-04-26 18:57:09 UTC

There was fun and "enrichment" but no interventions were happening other than a structured homeroom.

stick to the plan

kchristy2 — 2024-04-26 18:58:39 UTC

Tue at 3:30 is the deadline for switching/signing up for offering.

Figure out how to stop infinite campus glitch of students getting kicked out.

Including Intervention and Student Group Meeting

2024-04-26 19:05:25 UTC

In order to have it be more than just "fun" time, to include actual interventions and include enough time for student groups to meet during FLEX then we'd have to do it more than once a week. Would possibly involve adjusting the daily schedule...

FLEX (Offering)

2024-04-26 19:07:32 UTC

I would like FLEX once a month and avoid Spring Quarter. Already to many obstacles

to fit with in getting the work done / Missing students.