Urgency Group
This is a unique group that is designed to reach a certain group of students who may have skills, ability and knowledge but lack motivation to go beyond their comfort zone. Unlike Organization Skills Groups where basic strategies are introduced, the Urgency group is designed to "wake up the sleeping student" and to get them engaged in their learning.
The group is high energy and positive reinforcements. It is fun yet also sends a strong message to get moving and soon.
The group is set up through referrals from teachers and parents. In order for the group to be accepted by the students it is NOT OFFERED DURING RECESS. Teachers must provide a time that students can miss classroom assignments. This is often a difficult task since it is these very students who cannot afford to miss classroom instruction. There are typically 6 - 8 students per group. Group runs for 30 minutes for 6 sessions. The first session is during lunch block.
In addition, for this group to be successful, teachers must agree to play an interactive role in providing feedback to the students and myself. Each week the teacher is to give points for specific behaviors the student is working on. as a means of feedback to me and the student. If a teacher does not participate I do not run the Urgency Group for his/her students.
Prior to first session meet with each student individually to introduce them to purpose of the group. Explain that they were selected because of the teacher or parent's concern. The purpose of the group is to teach them about W.Y.N.S. They will ask what W.Y.N.S stands for but don't share it with them. Just share that it is something to help them be more successful in school. The first session will be during their lunch block and they will find out more then.
Note: In order for students to grasp the concept of the word "urgency". I stage a here and now experience. This is optional but is very effective. Since the children are bringing their lunches to the first group I purposely knock over my opened water bottle on to my tray with some spilling over on to the table. The students jump up and or look for something to wipe it up with. After things are cleaned up we talk about what happened introduce the word "urgency".
Session One
Session Two (Not during lunch block)
Session Three
NOTE: The main point of this group is to help students develop a sense of ownership in their engagement in learning. However, these students need a lot of positive support and attention. Knowing their teachers will be looking for positive changes is often all that is needed to spark their motivation.
Session Four
NOTE: Lots of tokens are tossed to students during these group sessions. If using tokens students hopefully are saving them to cash in at the end. I do not remind them to do so. Students ( with developing sense of urgency)will begin to save them, thinking ahead for the future.) If passing out candy it doesn't have the long term impact.
Session Five
Session Six
Follow up
Gathering more data. I take report card grades prior to group and then after group. I call in each student individually and talk about improvement since they had the group and learned about sense of urgency in learning. This information is very helpful for future goal setting.
The group is high energy and positive reinforcements. It is fun yet also sends a strong message to get moving and soon.
The group is set up through referrals from teachers and parents. In order for the group to be accepted by the students it is NOT OFFERED DURING RECESS. Teachers must provide a time that students can miss classroom assignments. This is often a difficult task since it is these very students who cannot afford to miss classroom instruction. There are typically 6 - 8 students per group. Group runs for 30 minutes for 6 sessions. The first session is during lunch block.
In addition, for this group to be successful, teachers must agree to play an interactive role in providing feedback to the students and myself. Each week the teacher is to give points for specific behaviors the student is working on. as a means of feedback to me and the student. If a teacher does not participate I do not run the Urgency Group for his/her students.
Prior to first session meet with each student individually to introduce them to purpose of the group. Explain that they were selected because of the teacher or parent's concern. The purpose of the group is to teach them about W.Y.N.S. They will ask what W.Y.N.S stands for but don't share it with them. Just share that it is something to help them be more successful in school. The first session will be during their lunch block and they will find out more then.
Note: In order for students to grasp the concept of the word "urgency". I stage a here and now experience. This is optional but is very effective. Since the children are bringing their lunches to the first group I purposely knock over my opened water bottle on to my tray with some spilling over on to the table. The students jump up and or look for something to wipe it up with. After things are cleaned up we talk about what happened introduce the word "urgency".
Session One
- Briefly describe group. Say, "This is a group where you will be learning about W.Y.N.S. which will help you be a better student.
- Go over ground rules
- While students are eating ask them to talk among themselves and try to guess what W.Y.N.S stands for.
- Somewhere in the middle of this conversations knock over water onto table. Watch how students jump to wipe it up and/or move out of the way.
- Define the word "urgency" and comment on how students responded to water spilling. The goal of group is to capture that sense of urgency for their learning.
- It is having this sense of urgency that encourages us to put W.Y.N.S into practice
- Check out: Students share what they think W.Y.N.S. stands for
Session Two (Not during lunch block)
- Welcome students back
- Show slideshow presentation W.Y.N.S
- After showing the slide show challenge students to name the tips from the slide show. As students name them I toss them a small square piece of paper or token of some kind. When they ask what it it for I say, "You'll see." (If you are comfortable giving out candy you can use candy instead of tokens. )
- We count up who has the most tokens and process what that person did to recall all the tips. Use this person as having an example of sense of urgency.
- Check out - Give them a handout with each of the ten tips and have them make a tally when they do it. Tell them to bring the sheet back next week.
- The list includes: Good Sleep; Good Food; Materials ready for school; Being punctual; Prepared for day at school; Using S.L.A.N.T; Recharging; Prepare to go home with materials; Do homework; Relax.
Session Three
- Give tokens to those who have the sheet. Give extra tokens for every tally marked. Praise those who have already begun to show a sense of urgency.
- This group we look at the concepts of Mental Endurance and Fuel for Energy.
- Students share times they go to bed and what they eat for meal. Talk about need for 10 hours sleep. Student will bring in week worth of times went to bed and time they woke up.
- Share with them the next weeks discussion will be if they are noticing any difference in mental endurance and energy levels. Let them know I will be also gathering data from their teachers.
NOTE: The main point of this group is to help students develop a sense of ownership in their engagement in learning. However, these students need a lot of positive support and attention. Knowing their teachers will be looking for positive changes is often all that is needed to spark their motivation.
Session Four
- Students at my school have already had several guidance lessons on S.L.A.N.T .
- Review the message of S.L.A.N.T to the group. (The purpose of sitting up, leaning forward, active thinking and asking questions and tracking the speaker is to keep students connected to the lessons. It is active learning and makes a big difference in helping them with learning. When students have a sense of urgency then they will use S.L.A.N.T.
- Read the book Frog Medicine by Mark Teague. While reading, hand out tokens to those students who are practicing S.L.A.N.T. Make a big deal about passing them out but don't indicate why they are receiving them.
- Have students raise hands when they notice lack of urgency in the story (toss token or candy)
- Before discussing the story have the students figure out why students were receiving tokens.
- Hand out feedback forms for teachers to fill out at the end of each period. The only thing on the form is student using S.L.A.N.T (remember this group is run only with teacher's agreement to fill out behavior reports for data and feedback !)
NOTE: Lots of tokens are tossed to students during these group sessions. If using tokens students hopefully are saving them to cash in at the end. I do not remind them to do so. Students ( with developing sense of urgency)will begin to save them, thinking ahead for the future.) If passing out candy it doesn't have the long term impact.
Session Five
- Students bring Feedback forms to group. They gather data and tally up points getting tokens for the most tallies.
- Discussion "What are you discovering?" "What have you been noticing of others in class." Give tokens for those who comment on others who seem to have more sense of urgency.
- Show What you Need to Succeed again this time focus on preparing for the day and preparing to go home with materials.
- Ask group to come up with how having a sense of urgency will help them be prepared.
- Tokens for those who seem to be grasping concept.
- Tell them next week is the last group and to bring all their tokens with them.
Session Six
- Open group with this statement, "When I first came to group I was _______________ and now I ___________.
- Give quiz and have each student write down as many of the steps they need to help them succeed from the video clip. Ask them to define the word "urgency" and how they can apply it to school and learning. Ask them to explain the importance of good fuel for good energy and the importance of mental endurance.
- Review answers and give tokens or candy for correct responses.
- Give something for person with most tokens - I usually have a certificate of some type with cute clip art showing some type of urgency and a champion of some kind.
- Close out reflection. Ask students to share what they can take with them from this group.
Follow up
Gathering more data. I take report card grades prior to group and then after group. I call in each student individually and talk about improvement since they had the group and learned about sense of urgency in learning. This information is very helpful for future goal setting.