Southside Connections Tuesdays is a new addition introduced this year. The goal for these lessons is to prepare students for success in both life and school. We’ve already had two, and so far, they haven’t been the most productive for students.
The state of Illinois requires schools by law to implement Social Emotional Learning into their curriculum. Southside Connections is a way for the school to do so.
There is currently a team of teachers being assembled to create these lessons and make them more practical. They are revamping the schedule, process, and lessons/activities but students have voiced plenty of concerns and suggestions as well.
Our first two lessons, which introduced staff around the building and taught students how to use Google Calendar, seemed like they could be used on other important aspects of student life.
Many upperclassmen expressed that this time could be used for college lessons. The lessons could inform students how to fill out their Common Application information, what to look for in good colleges, and provide information about scholarships and financial aid.
Although there are plenty of resources in our school to help with college, such as our counselors and the College Career Center, students currently need to personally seek these out themselves. Many students may be nervous or not know exactly what questions to ask.
This doesn’t just apply to seniors. Reaching out to staff throughout the school can be scary for all grades, whether it’s about class changes or something more serious. Using our Southside Connections time to reduce a potentially scary experience can be beneficial to the student-staff relationship.
Southside Connections is conducted in the classroom, taking about 15 minutes of the beginning of the assigned period.
Instead of having the same lessons for all grade levels, this time should be taken to help specific grade levels with different resources. Freshmen could get lessons on organization, staff around the school, and clubs and activities such as Student Council, Blue Crew, and a plethora of others.
Sophomores could get information on choosing electives, upcoming things in Junior year that will be important such as the SAT. Information such as what to expect and how taking the PSAT helps can help students understand the importance of the test.
Juniors can get introduced to all post-secondary plans, how to handle large workloads, and ways to prepare for the SAT in the spring. Meanwhile, seniors could get specific information on post-secondary plans and resources for those who are applying to college.
Southside Connections is a great resource that isn’t being used to its fullest potential. It’s a time for students to learn about skills that aren’t being taught to them in class or may breeze over their heads in assemblies. Making these changes can shift the focus to helping the student, and making them more comfortable in South’s environment.