What Does a New Advisory Program Look Like Amidst a Pandemic?

Everyone can agree that 2020 has been a crazy year. As a school community, we have gone through many firsts. The first school year in a pandemic, the first time learning and teaching online, and the first time returning to school wearing masks. And in this time of monumental change, another significant first is the institution of NEST+m's advisory program. For some students, advisory is the only time they can interact with their peers in-person. 

The primary purpose of advisory is for students to connect with each other and feel less alone. For this reason, a typical Upper-Grades advisory session, whether in-person or online, starts with an emotional check-in. The advisor and students take a few moments to understand how everyone feels. Then, students have the opportunity to engage with one another through fun online activities or drawing prompts. In many tenth grade advisories, students cracked up as they drew pictures of a deserted island with their eyes closed. When asked about participating in that particular activity, Athina Ramphal '23 said, "It was really enjoyable, fun, and cheesy. The teacher made it work over zoom. I would do it again."  

Since the advisory program is so new, many people may be wondering, "Is advisory even beneficial?" "Shouldn't we be using the extra hour a week for academics instead?" Tenth-grade advisor and English teacher Ms. Utting thinks the opposite. "Attending class from home can be really challenging in terms of learning the new systems and staying organized. We've lost the ability to catch a teacher in the hallway to ask questions or follow up on an assignment. Advisory is a great space to compensate for these missed opportunities and to help each other so that we don't fall behind." However, sophomore Annika Wolancyck says, "I think that trying to make up for the lost homework time has been challenging." Luckily, one of the main goals of advisory is to teach students how to have a healthy work-life balance.  

The creation of advisory began with the world in a very unique situation: a global pandemic. So, an added challenge of advisory is connecting through a screen. Some students are still having a positive experience. "I think that having an hour for advisory is nice because it gives you time to adjust and settle into the group," says Annika Wolancyck '23. Some teachers are benefiting from advisory as well. "Being an advisor has been meaningful for me because it's a more relaxed space where we can vent, share, and laugh together the way we would more naturally if we were together in school," says Ms. Utting.      

The 2020-21 school year will be one that NEST students will probably remember forever. Advisors just hope their advisees remember the moments when they managed to persevere through the most unexpected hurdles. Advisors hope they are able to emulate the moments with students that are felt in our classrooms and hallways. Even with so much sadness in the world, it seems as if the main purpose of advisory is to make sure students can smile and laugh, even if it is only for a moment through a screen.