PATHWAYS PROGRAM
High School Pathways
Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for this Pathways program are:
Working as a team
Leadership skills
Problem solving
Self-confidence
Connection and belonging
Pathways Modules
Pathways are designed to challenge students to go outside their comfort zone in a supportive environment where they can find opportunities to build confidence and feel valued within their school community. Through a series of monthly modules focused on various social-emotional skills, students will meet in assigned teams to attempt group challenges. Each challenge will encourage students to work as a team, use problem-solving skills, and practice being a leader and a listener.
High school students will meet on their designated date in their pod and break into their assigned teams. Teachers whose classes are participating will be asked to support students’ involvement and engagement in the tasks, as well as to score students on meeting the outlined goals. These scores will be totaled for the group’s overall score for that month’s challenge and winning teams will be able to win a team prize.
Scoring
Each individual student will be scored on how well they met the social-emotional goals for the day. Scores will be combined for the group’s overall team score.
Bonus points will be given for each student who fills out a reflection sheet and turns it into the high school mental health counselor in the week following the challenge. These additional points will be added to a team’s overall score for the month.
Monthly standing will be posted in the north pod of the school building.
What to Expect
This format for Pathways is a new way to trial how we introduce and integrate social-emotional learning within ASOP.
Student teams were carefully chosen to balance the strengths of each student with that of other students. Each challenge may appeal to certain students in different ways. We may notice some students excel in one area, and really struggle in another. That’s okay! The idea is for Pathways to simulate real-life scenarios so that students can practice social-emotional skills within team dynamics, which they can then apply to life beyond ASOP.
Middle School Pathways
The goal for our small groups for middle school is for students to learn and practice social-emotional skills during bite-sized weekly lessons. Each month has a topic focus. For example, mindfulness, navigating tough topics, friendship, and self-care. Students learned about the importance of mindfulness, as well as practiced three mindful coping strategies. They also received a pocket-sized coping sheet to carry with them for when they need it. For this topic in October, they have learned about communication differences and how to manage conversations where tough topics get involved. Topics are tailored to the students’ current needs at school.