Many Roles of the Advisor

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The advisory teacher is required to take on many different roles.  These roles require some teachers to go outside of their comfort zone and push themselves. 

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1.      The role of the advisor in the relationship component:Perhaps the most challenging of these roles is the one in which teachers take in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with students and parents.  While this can be difficult at first most teachers develop a natural report with students and the non-traditional roles soon become second nature.  This is not something typically taught in college pedagogical course, if it this training comes from anywhere it might come from a counselor training or just being a human with a heart.  .  The role of the advisory in this setting is to act as an advocate for the student and to help the student grow to be successful in school.  Advisors go out of their way for these students to make sure that they know what is going on in their lives, what their passions and dreams are.  Should a disciplinary issue arise the advisor plays a key role in helping the student to deal with the problems.  Also the advisor goes out of her way to make sure that student accomplishments are celebrated. In many alternative schools advisory class is called “family,” with good reason.  Students in these schools benefit from belonging to these “family” classes where they benefit from the nurturing and compassion which they receive from these close groupsCommunication with parents is also a key element of this component.  Through developing strong connections with the parents, advisory teachers can create a powerful collaborative team which promotes student success.  If a family is struggling an advisory teacher may help out by directing families to resources in the school and in the community where they might get assistance.This is a time in which teachers and students play together, laugh together and sometimes cry together.  For many teachers, this is the hardest of the roles they have to take on but it is also the most rewarding.  

1. The role of the teacher in promoting study skills:

 Again this may or may not be a role that teachers are completely comfortable with.  We spend a great deal of time developing lessons and insuring that students are receiving great instruction, but so often the basic building blocks of good study skills is left out of the picture. We will be developing a school wide curriculum that will be used in all classes to promote good study skills. Through developing strong study skills and habits both in school and at home our students are much more successful and we become great teachers!  

1. The role of the teacher in promoting positive social skills:

 

In this role teachers can draw from a wide variety of resources which will be made readily available.  Teachers will receive support on selecting good lessons and executing them well.

 

1. The Role of the teacher in recordkeeping and monitoring progress:

 Very often students are unaware if they are passing their classes.  In this role advisory teachers receive progress reports from their students’ teachers and help the students to understand their progress in school. Teachers also communicate this progress with parents.  If necessary advisory teachers work with staff members, students and parents to create plans for the students to keep on track and succeed in their classes.  Teachers at the high school level also help students to monitor their credits and GPA in preparation for graduation. 

1. The role of the advisory teacher in Service learning

 

In this role teacher work with the community to create and maintain a service learning project which lasts the entire year.  Students self worth benefits from knowing that they contributed positively to the community.  There are many avenues for a service learning project which will both contribute to the community and develop positive roles in which students can gain meaningful knowledge and skills.

 

1. The role of the Advisory teacher in Futures

For the 10th and 12th grade students this is a requirement of graduation.  Teachers in this role help students to develop a meaningful vision of what their future possibilities may be, reflect on their past achievements and develop plans to accomplish their goals.  This is the career piece of their academic lives.  For some students it helps to motivate them to do well in school by providing a purpose behind education which they previously were not aware of.