Learning AVID Strategies in “The Student Success Path” Workshop

Returning from summer travel and other pursuits, 36 teachers, counselors, administrators, and partnership project coordinators from Thomas Starr King Middle School, Stevenson Middle School, Hollenbeck Middle School, Desert Willow Intermediate, Belvedere Middle School and Sierra Vista Middle School filled the room for the first AVID “The Student Success Path” workshop on August 25 in Los Angeles. AVID trainer Art Valeriano, an experienced 8th grade history teacher from Lakeside Middle School in Santa Fe Springs, led the interactive activities with humor and enthusiasm.

By working together in groups, teachers learned how to use effective strategies and to support each other as team members. The techniques can be used in all subject areas. Sharing with other teachers, including various ways to share about their instruction, was one of the highlights of the day.

Some of the strategies and concepts presented were:

• For time management, brainstorming an agenda by “Backwards Planning”
• For parents, doing workshops on time management and notetaking to understand what their children do in school
• For articulation with the feeder high school and elementary schools, agreeing to use the same notetaking method with students
• For English Language Learner (ELL) students, providing “Sentence Starters” based on Bloom’s Taxonomy of critical thinking skills
• For effective teaching, demonstrating and modeling the strategy to students
• For the writing process, brainstorming ideas on charts by moving around the room in color-coded groups—known as a “carousel” technique
• For differentiated instruction, using the “Philosophical Chairs” technique which allows students to express pro and con opinions on a controversial topic

Information about future GEAR UP sponsored workshops can be found at www.castategearup.org on the Calendar of Events page. The registration form can be downloaded for the workshop desired.

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