OBJECTIVE:
Welcome everyone back to their Next Gen space and further establish bonds and norms.
REQUIRED PREP:
Transform your room – Next Gen sessions should be different from typical classes — change the rooms seating order, and get ready for your first session!
Opening - 5 mins max
Goal: Practice the ritual, and build team cohesion.
Opening Huddle: DO YOUR RITUAL
Opening Ritual: Review the opening ritual created in the last session, and conduct it with the cohort. Teach the ritual to any new students who have joined or missed the last session.
Activity 1: Creating our space - 15 minutes
Goal: Discuss student expectations and learn how the space can be comfortable for everyone.
Lead a discussion on how your cohort can create a safe space this year. As a group discusses the following questions
- When you attend Next Gen sessions, what do you want it to feel like?
- What can we incorporate into our sessions to make your junior year more successful?
- What expectations/rules should we set to ensure that we can get the work done and value the opinions and experiences of others?
Feel free to play music during the brainstorming and take note of what student preferences are, and plan to incorporate them in the next activity.
Activity 2: Family Rules - 25 mins
Goal: Set the cohort expectations for the year.
Create family rules based on the answer to the questions above. If there are more than 4 rules or expectations shared, have students work collaboratively to select the 4 family rules to put on their student behavior contract. Once family rules have been established as a group review the cohort agreement and sign.
Select someone to take notes on the board, and take a photo of the family rules for later reference. Have a student document the 4 selected rules on the student contract
have the entire class sign. Hang the cohort contract up for reference throughout the year.
Activity Strategy:
Keep in mind what makes everyone comfortable, and what will hold everyone accountable to keeping the cohort tight. Celebrate the joint signing as a first step to respecting and trusting each other.
Closing - 5 mins
Closing Huddle: Feel free to play light background music to generate energy!
Remind everyone of the next meeting.
Closing Ritual: Review the closing ritual created in the last session and conduct it with the cohort.
