Bringing it Back to School

An Exercise in

-Community Involvement

-Group Work

-Environmental Responsibility

-Independent Learning

When we look at a KSA graduate, one of the things we want to see is a person able to formulate and communicate his or her ideas and, more importantly, a person able to get things done.  The Bringing it Back to School projects offer students

• an opportunity to practice their group work skills,

• to make improvements to their school,

• and to show they can get things done with only minimal supervision from a teacher.

In other words, it gives students the opportunity to demonstrate they are independent learners!

Students make their school a better place and gain the valuable skills necessary to implement ideas and work effectively within a group.  Students gain the valuable skills that will make their lives more rewarding and meaningful.  This is one of the messages the Bringing it Back to School projects gives to students. 

Work on communicating your ideas clearly and persuasively to classmates, teachers, and businesses.

(You’ve got ideas, don’t you?)

Work cooperatively with your classmates and teachers to get something done that is important to the school. Leave the school a better place!

Working Cooperatively means…

PERSUASION LISTENING

LAUGHTERWORK

ORGANIZATIONCOMMITMENT

SUPPORTING EACH OTHERCONGRATULATING EACH OTHER

You will learn PERSISTENCE.

Hmmm. This whole war of independence

thing sure is a lot of work. Maybe

it’s not even worth it…

You will be on your way to becoming a responsible and engaged citizen by knowing how to get things done in your community!

When you leave KSA, you will be able to answer the question…

So, what did you do to make your school a better place?

Some Past Projects Recycling Boxes for Paper

Local Garden

Teaching Others

You will be asked to be part of a group throughout your education and especially throughout your professional career.

Your ability to work with all kinds of people will increase your chances of getting and keeping a job. Employers do not want to hire people who have difficulty getting along with other people. People who have difficulty working in groups make the work environment less fun and more stressful for everyone.

Being able to work with all kinds of people allows you to be open to new ideas, new information, and new ways of looking at things.

Working in a group setting gives you more opportunities for practicing how to listen to people and how to express your ideas.

Group work is working together toward a specific and common goal.

Group work is having a specific job or assignment in the group and working on that assignment.

Group work is having fun within the context of completing the project.

Group work is learning from and enjoying the different gifts and talents of all of your classmates.

What group work is…

Learning how to work things out. Don’t be a quitter. We don't want to send the message in life that if you don't like the group you are in you can just change.

If I told my boss that I didn't like the group I am working in, he or she would say “Thanks for letting me know. Now find a new job.”

You will be given time to work on your projects every week or two.

GRADING: You will receive a project grade for each session. As I walk around observing you work, here’s what I will be looking for.

1. Focus: How focused is the student? Did she start working right away? Did she drift off and start doing something unrelated to the project at some point?

2. Work Environment: Is the student helping to maintain a productive work environment by speaking softly and calmly, and working with a minimum of noise and disruption? Is this student actively creating a positive working environment by being upbeat, learning from setbacks, speaking politely to classmates, and acknowledging their ideas in a respectful way?

3. Is the student cleaning up work areas? Or does his attitude seem to be something like, “I don’t have to put that away. Mr B will do that for me.”

4. How does this project make our school a better place?

5. Is the student working independently? Or am I hearing statements like “What do I do now?” or “I’m done” or “We have nothing to do” or “There’s nothing left for us to do.”

END