Group+Activity+Suggestions


 * Group Advising Activities (compiled from the best conference group ever….. 7/15/11) **


 * 1) Help with moral development –fairness. Knowledge, wisdom, resolve. Case studies – read and discuss addressing all three of the elements.


 * 1) Personal ownership – treatment of others. Gender Stereotyping. Involve Student Council to make presentation? Students make videos for viewing and discussion. “Owning Up” curriculum book by Rosalyn Wiseman


 * 1) Develop social skills. Communication. Paired students sit back to back. One student describes a drawing and the other one draws exactly what they told. Compare. Giving directions exercise.


 * 1) Bullying. “Turning Insults into Compliments” Role playing. Pull an insult of out a hat and students practice replies with compliments. Ex: “pizza face!” “Why thank you, because I know how you love pizza!” Throws off the bully’s thoughts.


 * 1) Emotional well-being. Surveys and questionnaires. Students read and determine survey results. Ex: How do you define happiness? [|www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu] Positive Psychology (Penn)


 * 1) Sense of Community. Advisory Service Projects. How to research, determine, and plan a good community service project that is meaningful.


 * 1) Community Responsibility. Find a quote and advisors could present to class. Break students up into groups to discuss the quote. Groups may create a visual presentation of their interpretation.


 * 1) Emotional Development. MS. Story about a boy doing bad things. Have a glass of water and add food color drops for each bad deed. Gsood deed add a drop of bleach to lighten it. __Ten Minute Lessons for Kids__ Jamie Miller Also author of __Mistakes That Work__ ex: how post-its were invented


 * 1) Honesty and other characteristics. Case studies from book. Discussion questions follow. __Character Builders__ by Knowles and Smith. Allow advisors to select topics?


 * 1) Website “Got Character” Use marketing type skills to create advertisement Character Education Partnership: character.org


 * 1) Character & Humanity . Rubric/grid where advisors create a list of “what makes a good advisee” and advisees make a list of “what makes a good advisor” and look at how others “rate” Great way to create expectations; can share list with parents. Hold students accountable as well as be accountable as the advisor

Emotional Development. Guessing game setup – who in the group is it thru description What animal? What country? What type of car? One student answers POSITIVELY. Ex. Lion because they are a leader of the pack


 * 1) Goal setting for self. Throughout week ask others for adjectives that describe you. Create list. Student reflects upon and determines goals/resolutions after focusing on strengths and weaknesses. Use a “resolution ladder?” Use SMART goals format? (i.e. measurable, attainable, specific dates to check progress, etc.) Can share with parents, maybe even as a conference tool. __Strength Explorer__ book


 * 1) Resilience “Stuff Happens” How do you learn from your setbacks? Make a selection of cards with unsuccessful situations written on them. Pull one and determine what can be learned from it. i.e. “you failed a test” and/or have a list of tips on the card for the situation. Article from “Psychology Today”