West Leadership Weekly Round Up: March 12th - 16th

Hi everyone!

A busy and important week over here at WLA with both the student walkouts as well as the conclusion of our Healthy Relationships unit. 

On Monday the class reviewed our letters of forgiveness and moved onto a discussion regarding love - how its defined, what it looks like, how its expressed, and its overall importance in our relationships and well being. Students were shown a few videos and answered discussion questions that transitioned well into a conversation on self love and our lessons set for Wednesday and Thursday. 

Tuesday was a normal tutoring day focused primarily on completing our grade trackers, working on classwork and job applications, and finishing up our YESS surveys. Students were shown how to email their teachers if they had any questions about their grades or were looking to improve them and make up some work. We asked for students who had grades at a C or lower to inquire with their teachers how to get things fixed. Additionally, I was impressed by the number of students showing interest in wanting to find a job. Several emailed me with a list of job links over the weekend that they'd like to follow up on at our next tutoring Tuesday session which was really exciting. 

Wednesday we had a busy day with both the student walkouts against gun violence and our guests Diane and Breanne in our 5th period class. To start the day, students were allowed to meet at Sunken Gardens for both a moment of silence as well as to protest against gun violence. Most of the high school attended and participated in the moment of silence as well as listened to a few speeches before returning to class. Most students did not participate in the march to the capitol that day. Instead, several have expressed interest in the capitol march set for 3/24. 

Students beginning to gather during
Wednesday's walkout.

During class time on Wednesday and Thursday we focused our time on self love and care. Students were introduced to the concept of self love through both a discussion and the completion of a heart activity. For the activity, students were asked to draw a heart and then divide it up based on what they hold in their hearts at that particular moment. 

Students did a great job with this activity and after sharing their hearts with others, we found many similarities throughout the class, enough so that we even created a class heart shown below. On Thursday the class continued our conversations about self love and how it can be practiced and put into use. Students were also introduced to the concept of Ahmisa and we tied this back into our previous discussions regarding empowering beliefs and positive self-talk. This was an excellent way to wrap up the healthy relationships unit. 

Our class designed "heart" 

On Friday we spent a good portion of the class going over the Unit 2 final project. Students discussed and reviewed some of the topics that were selected last week. From there we talked in depth about the project components, requirements, and deadlines as well as answered any questions students had. Students were already coming up with some very interesting and creative ideas for their project so I'm really looking forward to watching them develop next week. 

Overall we had a great week here at WLA and I'm really pleased with the students finishing the unit on such a strong note. We are looking forward to spending time on our projects next week and then enjoying our well deserved spring break! -Ben






Hola a todos!

Fue una semana ocupado e importante aqui en WLA con la huelga alumna y tambien el fin de nuestra tema de relaciones saludables.

En lunes los alumnos revisaron nuestras cartas de perdon y continuamos una platica sobre amor: como definir amor, lo que es, como expresar, y sus importancia en nuestras relaciones y bienestar. Los alumnos han visto algunos videos y platicaban bien sobre amor a si mismo y nuestras lecciones para miercoles y jueves.

El martes fue un dia normal de tutoria donde enfocamos primariamente en cumplir nuestras una hoja donde mantienen un registro de sus calificaciones, trabajando en tarea y aplicaciones de trabajos, y terminamos los encuestas de YESS. Los alumnos fueron mostrado como madar email a sus maestros si tenian preguntas de sus calificaciones o si tienen que mejorarlos y hacer tarea olvidado. Pedimos a los alumnos que tenian calificaciones a C o menos que preguntan a sus maestros como mejorarlos. Mas, estuve conmovido por tantos alumnos que tenian interes en encontrar trabajo. Muchos me mando email con una lista de trabajos en el fin de semana que querian revisar en el proximo martes que a mi fue emocionado. 

En el miercoloes fue una dia ocupada con la huelga contra violencia de armas y nuestras invitadas Dian y Breanne en la clase de 5o tiempo. Para empezar el dia, los alumnos juntaban en Sunken Gardens para un tiempo de silencio y manifestarse contra violencia de armas. La mayoridad asitieron y partiparon en el tiempo de silencio y prestaban attencion a los discursos antes de regresarse a sus clases. La mayoridad de los alumnos no particpaban en el huelga a la capitolio esta dia. En lugar, querian participar en el huelga alla en el 24 de marzo.

Durante de clase en el miercoles y jueves enfoquemos en amarse y cuidarse a si mismo. Los alumnos fueron introducidos a conceptos de amarse entre una platica y cumplir una actividad de corazon. Para la actividad, los alumnos tenian que dibujar un corazon y dividirlo basado en lo que tienen en sus corazones en este momento.

Los alumnos hicieron un buen trabajo con este actividad y despues de compartir sus corazones con lo demas, encontramos muchas similaridades entre la clase, tanto que podemos creer un corazon de clase en el foto. En el jueves la clase continuaron sus platicas sobre amarse y como usarlo en vida real. Los alumnos tambien empezaron de entender Ahmisa y hablamos de platicas del pasado sobre creencias de apoderar y hablarse a si mismo positivamente. Fue una manera excelente de terminar la tema de relaciones saludables.

En el vienrnes tomamos tiempo de hablar sobre el proyecto final de tema 2. Los alumnos platicaban y revisaron algunos de alas temas que han seleccionado la semana pasada. De alli hablamos sobre los componentes, requizitos, y tiempo de entregar tarea antes de vencer. Tambien conteste preguntas que tenian los alumnos. Ellos tenian ideas interesantes y creativos para el proyectos y estoy emocionado de ver su desarollo en la proxima semana.

De todos modos fue una buena semana en WLA y me gusta ver los alumnos terminar con la tema fuertamente. En la proxima semana usaremos tiempo para los proyectos y disfrutar el spring break!-Ben

West Leadership Weekly Round Up: March 5th - 9th

Hi everyone!

We had a good week here at West Leadership as we near the end of Unit 2 and are approaching spring break in the next couple of weeks.

As the class nears the end of Unit 2 - Healthy Relationships, I felt it'd be best to check in and see where we were with the new and old material before starting our projects. On Monday the students took a small quiz and we reviewed these topics together once more, this was particularly helpful for the students who were added in the spring semester and needed some additional review prior to selecting their topic for the project.

Tuesday was spent completing our grade trackers, YESS surveys, and working on things like the YESS scholarship, homework, and some job searches. Many older students expressed interest in finding jobs so we decided to make this one of our tutoring work stations and spend time researching nearby jobs, starting resumes, and filling out applications.

Wednesday and Thursday we focused on our lessons over forgiveness. These were emotional lessons and conversations. Over the course of a couple days, students were introduced to what forgiveness looks like, how it is beneficial to one's emotional health, and how they can do their best to practice forgiveness in their lives. Students then wrote forgiveness letters and could choose whether or not to give it to that person they'd like to forgive. Just the act of writing down one's emotions and pain in a letter or journal was very cathartic for many and they seemed to enjoy the process quite a bit.

On Friday we focused again on community building. Students spent time doing various group activities such as making some artwork for the classroom, finishing up on their job applications and resumes, or working on teaching a lesson for the class at the next Community Friday. We were also able to introduce the basics of the unit 2 project to the students and get them thinking about which potential topics they'd like to work on starting next week.

Another great week here at WLA! We are looking forward to finishing our unit next week and starting our projects soon! Stay tuned!

Hola a Todos!

Tuvimos una buena semana aqui en West Leadership cuando casi terminamos el fin de Tema 2 y llegamos a la vaccacion de verano en algunas semanas.  

Estamos casi al fin de Tema 2-Relaciones Saludables, me senti como seria bueno examinar con la material nueva y pasada antes de empezar nuestros proyectos. En el lunes los alumnos tomaron un examen pequña y revisamos las temas otra vez. Fue una ayuda para los alumnos que empezaron en enero y tenian que revisar la material vieja antes de seleccionar tu tema para el proyecto.  

En el martes tuvimos tiempo llenando las formas de marcas, y trabajamos en las cosas como la beca de YESS, tarea, y algunos busquedas de trabajo. Algunos alumnos mas grandes espresaban interes en agarrar trabajo, entonces decidemos usar este tiempo en estudiar y buscar trabajo, empezamos resumes, y llenar aplicaciones.   

En el martes y el jueves, enfoquemos en nuestras leccoines sobre el perdon. Fueron lecciones llena de emociones y platicas diferentes.  Sobre algunos dias, los alumnos fueron introducidos a lo que significa el perdon, como es beneficio a la salud mental, y como pueden practicar el perdon en sus vidas. Los alumnos luego escribieron cartas de perdon y podian escoger si querian dar la carta a la persona que quiere perdonar. Nomas el acto de escribir los emociones de tristeza y dolor en una carta fue catartico para muchos y se me parece como disfrutaron el proceso.  

En el viernes enfoquemos otra vez en constriur nuestra comunidad.  Los alumnos hicieron actividades como hacer arte para la clase, terminar sus aplicaciones y resumes, o trabajar en sus eseñazas para la clase en el proximo viernes. Tambien podiamos introducir los basicos del proyecto de segunda tema a los estudiantes y ayudarles de pensar sobre las temas para usar en sus proyectos.

Otra semana buena aqui en WLA! Estamos ansiosos para empezar la proxima semana y empezar los proyectos pronto! Nos vemos!

West Leadership Weekly Round Up: February 26th - March 2nd

Hi all!

We had a busy and productive week over here at WLA! 

Monday was spent matching our new students from the start of the spring semester with their mentees and group members. Students completed the speed matching activity by interviewing every possible mentor and mentee and identifying their top selections. This process went even smoother than the first semester and students really enjoyed asking each other questions and getting to know one another. 

Tuesday we spent the class getting our grade trackers completed as well as completing some surveys regarding social and emotional learning. From there we had students sign up for the Raise Me scholarship which allows them to start collecting money for college as soon as their freshman year. Several middle school students also looked into possible scholarships and programs that were provided to us by YESS' College Navigator, Emily. 

Wednesday and Thursday were lesson days as the class finished their discussions and activities on both accountability and peaceful conflict resolution. We were able to review various scenarios and examples of what accountability looks like as well as discuss how we can become more accountable with others. From there the class spent time on violent versus peaceful conflict resolutions. Students were shown a few videos explaining why people chose violence over peace when handling conflict and then we spent some time going over peaceful resolution strategies and applications. Students were really interested in the conversations regarding gender and conflict and also remembered a lot from our brain unit regarding why our emotions can hijack our reason and logic. 

Friday the class finished up our conversations on conflict resolution and accountability by completing another journal entry for the week and discussing it. From there we spent some time as a community and did our Fishbowl Friday activity which was pretty fun. The questions continue to vary depending on current events and the topics we are learning about at the time. 

Next week we will be moving onto our lessons over forgiveness and self-care. We will also be introducing our Unit 2 stand up project that should be quite a bit of fun to work on in the coming weeks! See you then! -Ben