Working together to transition freshmen & transform schools from the bottom up!

Scott Habeeb's Blog (125)

How AFL could be applied to a PE class (based on principles that apply to all classes)

This was originally posted on Assessment FOR Learning on October 9, 2009.

I would imagine that many Physical Education teachers must feel as though much of the professional development activities and workshops in schools do not apply to them. Typically, discussions of state standards and NCLB expectations dominate these discussions. While these apply to PE, they apply in a different manner than they do in a core area… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on October 13, 2009 at 9:16pm — No Comments

AFL - more than just letting tests replace quizzes

This was originally posted on Assessment FOR Learning on October 7, 2009.

I plan to create a series of posts that will help teachers better understand AFL so that they can apply AFL ideas into their classrooms. One way to do this is to define what AFL isn’t.

AFL isn’t replacing quiz grades with test grades. However, replacing quiz grades with test grades could be AFL – does that make sense? Here’s what I… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on October 13, 2009 at 9:14pm — No Comments

3 Perspectives on an AFL example - Administrator, Parent, Student

This was originally posted on Assessment FOR Learning on October 4, 2009.

I’d like to share a recent AFL experience from three different perspectives – that of a school administrator, that of a parent, and that of a student.

My daughter is a freshman taking Algebra 2. While she typically does very well in math, she has a tendency to start slowly. She is often somewhat overwhelmed by new concepts. It takes her a… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on October 13, 2009 at 9:11pm — 2 Comments

Downloading Videos from YouTube

This blog post will be helpful to teachers who want to use inspirational videos in the classroom with your freshmen. YouTube is full of wonderful video clips to use in a classroom. There are 2 problems with YouTube, though.

1. Some schools block it

2. Sometimes a slow network will make it difficult or impossible to watch a video

The solution is to download the videos to your computer (this can be done at home if your school blocks YouTube) and then either show them… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on October 13, 2009 at 12:30pm — No Comments

9th Grade Administrator Tip #2

Look for ways to empower the teachers in your Freshman Transition Program. The more effective they are the more effective the program will be. This is one of the reasons why teaming is such a powerful tools. It brings teachers together in an atmosphere that enables them to have a greater impact on students.

Anyway, look for ways to empower these teachers. Here are some examples:

1. Allow them to make intra-team schedule changes. If they find that a combination of students… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on October 6, 2009 at 8:55pm — 2 Comments

3 Perspectives on an AFL example - Administrator, Parent, Student

This was originally posted on Assessment FOR Learning. If you are interested in the topic, you might want to join that site.

I’d like to share a recent AFL experience from three different perspectives – that of a school administrator, that of a parent, and that of a student.

My daughter is a freshman taking Algebra 2. While she typically does very well in… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on October 4, 2009 at 10:23pm — No Comments

9th Grade Administrator Tip #1

During the first week or so of the school year, pay a visit to all your 9th grade English classes. Take 20-30 minutes in each class to introduce yourself to the students. Give them a chance to see you as a person rather than just an administrator. Attempt to start learning their names and invite them to stop you in the hallways and quiz you on their names. Also, go over any school rules that you feel are most critical for freshmen to understand. Finally, in any way possible try during this… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on September 15, 2009 at 9:41pm — No Comments

I'm finally the father of a freshman!

After 12+ years of teaching freshmen, being an administrator for freshmen, and consulting on the topic of freshmen, I finally am the father of a high school freshman!

My daughter, Kaitlin, started high school today. She is now officially a 9th grader – and I officially feel older than I should!

One key point that I have believed over the years is that freshmen are pretty scared/nervous when they come into the high school. I had no idea, however, just how true this is.… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on September 8, 2009 at 10:30pm — 5 Comments

Radio Talk Show - Back to School - Stephen Jones and Scott Habeeb

Dr. Stephen Jones, a member of the Freshman Transition Network, is the host of an educational radio talk show, and Scott Habeeb, another member of the Freshman Transition Network, was his guest on his back-to-school episode on 8/24/09. Click here to listen.

Added by Scott Habeeb on August 24, 2009 at 8:48pm — No Comments

Mr. Holland's Opus - medicine for the teacher's soul!

With the school year either about to start or having just started, I thought it would be worth taking some time to make a recommendation. Watch Mr. Holland's Opus.

We've posted quite a few clips from the movie here on The Freshman Transition Network. Teachers can learn a lot from them. You might watch them in the following…

Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on August 16, 2009 at 10:51pm — No Comments

Part 7B – Creating a Freshman Transition Program – The Role of the Administrator During the School Year

Part 7A of this series on Creating a Freshman Transition Program dealt with the role that an administrator plays getting a Freshman Transition Program started. This post – Part 7B – focuses again on the role of the administrator. Specifically, it focuses on how the administrator interacts with the Freshman Transition Program during the school year. It assumes that the Transition Program is already up and… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on June 9, 2009 at 10:31pm — No Comments

Part 7a – Creating a Freshman Transition Program – The Role of the Administrator

A 4 ½ month old makes it hard to find time to do much of anything, let alone post to a blog! It has taken me a long time to post this latest installment of Creating a Freshman Transition Program, but I think it’s a very important one. Hopefully, my brain has had enough sleep to write coherently. If not, then I’ll blame little Matthew!

So what is the role of an administrator in a Freshman Transition Program? In some ways, each post in this series has been about the role of an… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on May 17, 2009 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Part 6 – Creating a Freshman Transition Program – Which Teachers?

One of the most important decisions that must be made when creating a Freshman Transition Program is deciding which teachers will be a part of the program. After all, the single greatest factor in any educational endeavor or reform effort is the teacher in the classroom. Without the teacher, the plan is just a plan. The teacher is the one on the front line making the magic happen.

As Jim Collins says in his book… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on April 26, 2009 at 11:15pm — No Comments

The 3 Magicians

We’re on spring break right now. I have to admit that the 2 or 3 weeks leading up to spring break were not exactly my favorite. It is not uncommon for people to ask, “How can you be a high school administrator? Don’t you get tired of dealing with nothing but discipline?” Typically I am able to inform them of the fact that my days and my job consist of much more than discipline and that I love my job. However, during those weeks leading up to spring break I was beginning to wonder myself how I… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on April 13, 2009 at 9:14pm — 1 Comment

Part 5 – Creating a Freshman Transition Program – Don’t Forget to Team

If you’ve been reading the posts on this website (example) over the past few months, read my book The Ninth Grade Opportunity, or attended one of Solutions, etc.’s Freshman Transition Conferences, then you are aware of what I consider to be the key to successfully transitioning freshmen –… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on April 5, 2009 at 8:45pm — 2 Comments

Part 4 – Creating a Freshman Transition Program – Which students?

Early in the process of creating a Freshman Transition Program most schools begin planning for which students will be a part of the program. Before sharing some ways to look at this question, let me first state 2 common pitfalls that schools fall into when answering this question.

Pitfall 1 – Starting with only the most “at-risk” students.

A program like this is destined for a stigma. Parents and students alike will not want to be a part of it. Teachers will not want to… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on March 22, 2009 at 10:52pm — No Comments

Part 3 – Creating a Freshman Transition Program – The Pros and Cons of the Departmentalized Approach

In my last post I discussed the pros and cons of the Freshman Academy approach to Freshman Transition. I defined the Freshman Academy as a method of easing the transition from middle school to high school that uses locale as its primary means. In other words, freshmen in the Academy model are separated from the rest of the high school for some period of time during the day. I ended that post by stating… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on March 15, 2009 at 10:08pm — No Comments

Part 2 - Creating a Freshman Transition Program - Pros and Cons of an Academy

To have an Academy or not to have an Academy? That is the question.

These days when schools create Freshman Transition Programs they often use the term Freshman Academy to name their efforts. This post’s purpose will be to discuss the pros and cons of such an approach, and to introduce an alternative model.

First, let me define what I mean by the term Freshman Academy. A Freshman Academy is a means of easing the transition from middle school to high school that uses locale… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on March 12, 2009 at 9:23pm — 1 Comment

Part 1 - Creating a Freshman Transition Program

My plan is to post a series of blog posts about creating a Freshman Transition Program in your school. I’m going to start at the beginning and go through some recommendations step-by-step. These ideas are based on my experience at my own school (Salem High School in Salem, VA) and on my experiences as a consultant for Solutions, etc. working with numerous schools in 18 states. I hope you’ll find these ideas and… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on March 8, 2009 at 10:30pm — 4 Comments

Use a Scalpel Not a Band-aid or What I Learned From Ray

As a new teacher I I learned so much from being able to work closely on a team with Ray Moore.

One thing Ray taught me was to focus on what our students really need. I would describe his lesson as follows: Don’t use a band-aid when you need a scalpel.

Like most teachers, my goal was to impact the lives of my students. I would love for one of them to say one day that I was the reason for some positive direction they took. My ultimate goal in the classroom – beyond teaching… Continue

Added by Scott Habeeb on February 15, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments