LeLycia Henderson Exemplar 1: Core Curriculum Lesson: Study Skills and Time Management CSP 624: Learning, Achievement

and Instruction for School Counseling, Fall 2014 Standards Addressed: 19 & 24 According to the Journal of Education, ninth grade is identified as the make or break year for completing high school (McCallumore & Sparapani, 2010). In addition, research shows that ninth graders have more failing grades and lower grade point averages than any other grade level in high schools. In order to address this pivotal transition period for ninth grade students, I co-developed and implemented a core curriculum lesson for the entire ninth grade class at my fieldwork site. The curriculum I co-developed was focused on providing students with study skills and time management strategies necessary for high school and post-secondary success.

As a future school counselor, it is imperative that I am able to provide students with the resources necessary for academic success. Furthermore, I selected this particular project because it contributed to my development in various areas as a school counseling trainee. Through my development of this core curriculum PowerPoint presentation I was able to facilitate learning, create collaborative experiences within the classroom, and capture the attention of the students. Standard 19: Academic Development A:A2.1: Apply time-management and task-management skills was incorporated throughout the lesson. The curriculum was developed in order to provide a foundation of study strategies and time management skills for the entire ninth grade population. For example, students were instructed on the proper steps to filling out a daily planner The curriculum included information on ways to personalize the learning process. This included information on how to identify an appropriate study area and determine whether group studying or individual studying works best for students. In addition, everyone in the classroom had the opportunity to brainstorm what types of study tools worked best for them in the past and why they believe that particular strategy worked well for them. All of these activities were completed in a collaborative manner with exchanging of ideas for successful time management and study skills. This activity connects directly with academic achievement because it provided students with concrete examples of how they can effectively use studying tools. This can eventually lead to more effective studying within the 9th grade population and higher test scores. Standard 24: Learning, Achievement and Instruction

LeLycia Henderson During the implementation of the core curriculum lesson, I incorporated effective classroom management strategies in order to maintain student engagement and classroom participation. By executing these strategies properly, I was able to demonstrate my grasp of classroom dynamics and how to provide knowledge to students with diverse learning styles and needs. The activities incorporated involved various instructions strategies. I used visuals, to illustrate information in a graphic manner to help students see how time management and study strategies are connected. In addition, I integrated verbal chants into the lesson to aid students auditory memory of the steps of filling out a daily planner. Conclusion: Through my development and implementation of the core curriculum presentation, I have learned how to properly identify needs within a school site. During this process, I used data analysis and research to determine the grade level that needed to be targeted and the subject matter that would be most advantageous to students. In addition, this project has helped me to effectively use instructional strategies within a classroom of diverse students. As a future school counselor, this experience has provided me with a strong foundation in curriculum development and implementation. If I was given the opportunity to complete this project again, I would make sure that accounted for student absences and class scheduling to ensure that every student within the target demographic was able to view the presentation. In addition, I would utilize the pre-test responses more strategically within my curriculum development because some of the information included in the presentations was already understood by the student population. Overall, navigating through the process of curriculum development and implementation was rewarding because I was able to formulate a project for the betterment of students from beginning to end. Having the opportunity to assist students with their ninth grade transition was very fulfilling and motivating. On a professional level, I feel that this experience was key to my development as an affective future school counselor.