I have sat through a number of great and some mind numbing
assemblies at the end of the year. (You
know the ones-where everyone gets a certificate and the few that don’t, don’t
care?) Don’t get me wrong, I think that
students should be recognized for their successes. (Students loved being
honored on my “wall of fame” bulletin board in my class…but I digress). I
recently attended an awards assembly with a twist at the the Black River Middle
School in Chester, NJ.
The Hall of Fame
This assembly had both staff and students proud and
excited. It was a “Hall of Fame
Induction” honoring outstanding alumni of their middle school. (Alas, I graduated from this same school
system, but since there is no one alive that can attest to that, and there was
no BRMS at the time, I am not eligibleJ). What a great way to have students learn about
their own potential, through the eyes of someone who had sat in their very same
chairs not so long ago.
Sharing Memories and Inspiration
The inductees represented a wide range of areas of success from
politics, law and community volunteerism to business and athletics. Each honored
guest gave a short speech with some anecdotes about their time at the school
(some pointing out their teachers) and then pointing out that any one of the 7th
graders in that audience could achieve their dreams if they just put their
minds to it. Joseph S. Pizzo, language
arts teacher, created the Hall with his students “to honor exemplary former
students and community members who provide real-life success stories for our
students.” That’s the key, not just real
life, but connecting to their lives!
Project Based Learning
I cannot help but think of all of the potential learning
opportunities that can come just from having students participate in all phases
of the planning process- from collecting nominees, research, etc. to planning
the actual event (writing, reading introductions, writing press releases,
letters of invitation, etc). The selection
process itself, from setting criteria, weighing candidates and making the
selection is a great lesson in decision analysis. Sounds like a problem based learning activity
waiting to happen- complete with critical thinking processes and multiple
writing opportunities.
I want to thank Joe Pizzo for inviting me in and invite the
rest of you to share any twists that you might add to your end of the year
assemblies.
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