If a kid gets detention or Saturday school, should they be removed from ASB? Can I put that in the application?

Hmmm. I certainly think that ASB students should be role models and examples of good behavior. I do have conduct rules in all my applications that kids (and parents) sign off on and agree to follow. The ONE student I had to kick out of ASB because of conduct was much easier to remove because I was able to cite specific portions of the agreement in his "ejection letter."

The applications and the dismissal letter are all available for download on this blog.

I should tell you that I did not remove the student right away. You gotta remember they're still kids, and as I teacher I feel it is our obligation to teach them to learn from their mistakes. Some of these kids have hard habits to break that have been instilled within them from home. Before that "ejection letter," the student and I had had several discussions about his conduct, and about how much I wanted him to be able to stay in ASB and contribute to the group. It finally got to the point, however, where I had to let him go (after he snuck into the Winter Formal without paying).

There would, of course, be SEVERE infractions for which I would immediately remove an ASB student. Weapons possession, drug or alcohol possession on campus, these would be automatic.

Hope that helps. Give me a holler if you have more questions. Also check out the conduct agreements and the "Letter Removing an ASB officer from office."

RVI

Is there still a leadership/learning aspect as demonstrated in a written paper or papers?

What I didn't clarify in the presentation (and thank you for reminding me of this) is that the grading packet is MOST of the grade. I would say it constitutes 80-90% of the final grade.

I do have leadership assignments throughout the quarter. I also give them a grade for their notebook, which is basically a log of everything that happens during the business meeting. This helps them because they're keeping track of what's going on, and it also keeps them on task during the business meeting.

MOST of the grade, though, is the grading packet. Great question. Thank you!

Hope that helps. If not, give me a holler.

RVI

Do you have to rely on the kids' honesty for the rubrics? How do you make sure they don't over-inflate their grades?

I don't just take the student's word for it. I carefully review each grading packet, especially at the beginning of the school year. I try to make the language very clear in the rubric, so there's not a lot of room for interpretation. In the beginning of the year, I work carefully with each student, and review their grade packets VERY carefully. Those kids who over-inflate their grades, I speak with them and we go over their scores. We basically take 10-15 minutes with me telling them, "You're not as good as you think you are." In a nice way, of course. Eventually, they learn to have a more honest assessment of themselves, and if they are NOT happy with the numbers that come out in the end, rather than fudging numbers, they just need to work that much harder during the next grading period.

Hope that helps. If not, give me a holler.

RVI

CADA Convention Day 3 - February 29, 2008

I'm in the General Session right now, sitting at the A/V booth waiting to finish my voice-over duties for the day. I'm enjoying our keynote speaker's enthusiasm.

I'm also taking this opportunity to read the comments and questions from those people who attended my session. Keep checking this blog! I will answer them all as soon as I can over today and tomorrow.

If you think of a question later, OR if you don't see your question here, I'm not ignoring you. I may simply have misplaced your question. Please e-mail me at rvi@hartdistrict.org and I will respond to you ASAP.

Thanks again to everyone who attended my workshop this morning. I hope you found something you can take back to your school.

RVI

CADA Convention Day 2 - February 28, 2008

Today was a full day at the CADA Convention. The highlight of the day for me was definitely this morning's keynote speaker, Chad Hymas.

Chad talked about how we have a responsibility as adults to do the right thing, and guide the young people in our care down the right path, just like his father did. Being a father myself, Chad's talk especially resonated with me. The best message was this: "The greatest gift you can give to the young people in your life is the gift of time." Chad's story made me think of how fortunate I am to have all that I have, and I made sure to give my wife and daughter an extra hug and a kiss when I saw them later this morning.

Tomorrow morning I will be giving my very first full-length presentation at the CADA Convention, and I am both excited and nervous. I hope to give valuable tools to those who attend my session tomorrow, and inspiration that "it really does get easier after the first year!"

CADA Convention Day 1 - February 27, 2008

Wow! What a great first day of the CADA Convention! I got to see lots of my old CADA friends, I got to catch up with some of my favorite speakers (the Original Mike Smith, Tyler Durman, Russ Peak, and Patrick Maurer), and show off my 13-month-old baby to everyone!

That artist we saw at the first General Session, David Garibaldi, was amazing! I enjoyed his message about using your "platform" to lead and inspire your students, and his skills with paint and canvas were unbelievable. He was a super nice guy to boot! My daughter seems to be saying, "Can you believe this guy? He's awesome!"

In two days, I will present "Elect Them, Select Them, and Hold Them Accountable: Surrounding Yourself with Great Student Leaders." My goal is to help new activities directors to see that the key to a great leadership program is to attract students to your program who are in it for the right reasons: to serve the students of their school. When you establish a culture of humility and service, you draw more students to your program who want to put others--and not themselves--on a pedestal.

RVI