Embedded Files
Lead Teacher: Clarissa Marshall, cmarshall@ngfs.org
Assistant Teacher: Ben Lancaster
Information for Families
Grading
Skills is a pass/fail course. The purpose of any data in RenWeb for the sole purpose of providing communication to families. While a 1-4 point scale is used to represent a students level of participation, it does not constitute a grade as it would in other classes.
Terms and assignments used in Skills
Grade reflection: during class students review the grade report they received on Sunday night. They answer a series of questions for each class than prompts them to look closely at their grades and comments. You can view the process here.
End of week reflection: during class students answer a series of questions that prompts them to reflect on their academic week, identify successes, identify areas for growth, set goals, and intentions for the following week. You can view the process here.
Focus block: Allowing time for make up work, retaking assessments, reteaching with core teachers, and starting homework is an important component to this course. Time for these pursuits is worked into nearly every day of the class.
Focus time priorities: during focus time student are given a set up priorities that they are ask to follow in order:
Complete missing/incomplete work
Do homework
Study/review
Read
Typing practice
Choice activity*
*everything above must be completed
*with teacher permission
Lesson: Skills lessons are intended to build student self-awareness and self-advocacy skills, bolster development of the executive functions, identify a student's strengths, support student's learning challenges, and offer academic tips and tricks.
Skills notebook: a composition book that stays in the Skills classroom. Each student uses their notebook to log their energy (or Zone), what they work on during Focus Time, and take notes from lessons. Clarissa checks notebooks regularly and they factor into a weekly participation grade.
Zone (of Regulation): The Zones of Regulation is an evidence-based framework that builds emotional regulation and behavioral skills for life. Grounded in cognitive behavioral science, it gives individuals and communities a common language for navigating emotions—and the practical strategies to do it well.
Blue - low energy: tired, sick, bored, sad
Green - ideal state for learning: happy, focused, attentive, regulated
Yellow - high energy: hyper, anxious, distracted
Red - very high energy: angry, shut down, melt down, afraid
Typing Agent: Touch typing software made available to students in skills. While Typing Agent is not required, students are encouraged to log at least 10 minutes of typing practice per week for a prize. They must log at least 10 minutes in order to move on to a choice activity during focus time.
User's Guide: In the second trimester students will begin developing a User's Guide for themselves based on self-management practices, tools, and strategies they discover work best for them. A comprehensive User's Guide is the capstone project for this course.
Weekly Flow in Skills
Monday
Review grade reports and complete reflections; any time remaining for working with teachers or homework
Reflected on RenWeb:
Completion of reflection, any goals reported by student
Tuesday
15-20 minute focus block with Ben
15-20 lesson with Clarissa
Wednesday
15-20 minute focus block with Ben
15-20 of organizing with Clarissa (rotating through lockers, notebooks, email, Google Drive, and bookbags); also time for 1:1 check-ins with Clarissa
Thursday
15-20 minute focus block with Ben
15-20 lesson with Clarissa
Friday
Rotating: Either End of Week reflection or update User's Guide with Ben
Reflected on RenWeb:
Completion of reflection, any goals reported by student
Completion grade for User's Guide assignments
15 lesson with Clarissa; reward for anyone who completed Typing Agent goal and short celebration
Reflected on RenWeb:
Weekly participation score based on in-class participation, overall behavior, completion of log in Skills Notebook, completion of notes in Skills Notebook
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