Students need guidance in the completion of this four year assignment.  Students’ parents, relatives and surrounding community members all have important roles to fill for students to be successful.  Teachers are only one link in the large chain, but an important one.

All teachers have the ability to “advise” students with the Graduation Project regardless of their curricular area.  Every teacher is aware of “basic” skills used during their own teacher credentialing process.

• Time Management Skills
• Organization Skills
• Networking Skills
• Research Skills.
• Internet / Library Research
• Team Building / Team coordination / Team Work
• Public Speaking
• Project Development  and Completion
• Journal Writing
• Paper Writing

Students need to make better connections to teachers than just classroom experience and curricular area.  All faculty and staff have “areas of interest”, “specializations” and “unique experiences” that students can reap rewards from.  In turn, students should find common interests with their teachers outside the class setting, enriching the school experience.

Here are steps you can take to help implement the Graduation Project:

1. Take your own “personal inventory” of what you have to offer students.

• What are your interests, hobbies or experiences you could offer students?
• Have you: been overseas?  Lived in another country?
• Where did you: Go to college?  Grow up?  Go to High School?
• What do you feel passionate about?

      2.  Take the “pro-active” approach.

• Seek out students that may have the same interests that you have.
• Make presentations about your interests and invite student to ask questions about your “areas of expertise” or hobbies.
• Invite other teachers and students school wide to learn about a “unique experience” or “opportunity” you’ve had.
• Make it a point to pick 15 students to advise with their graduation project.
• Keep track of student progress throughout the experience.
• Match up students with similar project interests.
• Match up students with community members who may serve as “mentors” for the students.
• Match up freshmen with upperclassmen with similar topic interests.
• Integrate Graduation Project skills into your curriculum (make sure students are aware of the use of these skills for the Graduation Project).
• Steer students towards their chosen topic for the Graduation Project when they need to complete a project in your curricular area.

You may even be surprised at your own new found “passions” derived from your interaction with students in completing the Graduation Project.

STUDENT LIST PDF

TEACHERS' RELATIONSHIP to the Graduation Project PDF