Tips for Teachers
How Is the Program Going?
This activity helps you "take the pulse" of how your SECOND STEP efforts are going in your school or agency. It will help you lead a discussion with your colleagues and gather information for planning ahead. You can also use this activity to generate enthusiasm for next year.
Tip: Make this a fun event by providing sandwiches or coffee and snacks.
(Time: 1 hour)
Objective
To gather information from SECOND STEP users regarding their:
- Ability to use program as designed.
- Feelings of success or perceived challenges during lesson presentation.
- Expectations for how they will benefit from booster training sessions.
- Expectations for support from their on-site trainer and administration.
Using the following questions (or some you have written yourself), make two sets of posters, six posters per set, from large chart paper. Write one question on each. The second set should be a duplicate of the first.
- What has been easy, interesting, and successful for you while teaching the SECOND STEP program to students?
- What challenges have you faced while teaching the SECOND STEP program to students?
- How have you incorporated SECOND STEP ideas into your disciplinary plan?
- How can your on-site trainer and administrator support you in teaching the SECOND STEP program?
- Please list any ideas to improve the use and effectiveness of the SECOND STEP program in your school or agency.
- What information, skills, or knowledge do you expect to gain from SECOND STEP booster training sessions?
With Your Staff (20 minutes)
Divide your staff into 12 small groups. Assign each group to a poster. Give each group two to four minutes to respond to the question on their poster before having them move on to the next of the six posters in their area. This activity moves along more quickly if there are several markers available at each poster, so that each person can record her or his own responses. Neatness does not count. Encourage the groups to be colorful; make it like graffiti! Make sure each group answers each of the six questions in their area.
Discussion (40 minutes)
After each of the 12 groups has responded to their six questions, the staff can return to their seats. Move the posters to one area so the duplicate questions are side-by-side. Guide the group in a discussion of each poster’s responses. The staff’s responses can be possible topics for future booster training sessions. Use voting or consensus to prioritize and decide the order in which the topics will be addressed.
