Promoting College In the Classroom

In school teachers should do a better job of motivating their students to attend college and stress the importance of it. To do so, they should incorporate more college prep activities into their lessons and provide after school programs. When interviewing a non-AVID student I realized the student is not very informed about college and the preparations. When I asked if they had any teachers who talked about college to their students the student claimed only two of her six teachers promote college. I was surprised to hear this it is clear that we need more teachers who talk to their students about college and motivate students to want to attend college. As I continued to talk with the student I realized that the student wants to learn about college and is not getting much support from teachers.

Introducing middle and high school students to the college planning process through after school programs has several benefits. The after school environment is more informal, and this interactive setting can get youth more engaged and motivated. The staff should include well-trained college students who use their own college experiences to serve as mentors and encourage youth to plan for college. Small-student ratios can ensure that participants also develop strong relationships with adult instructors. The after school environment can also be more inviting and accessible to parents, which helps connect families to the college planning process. The It's Never Too Early article claims that after school is an effective venue for supporting and encouraging youth on the path to college .

An example of this type of program is TASC (the After School Corporation) is dedicated to giving all kids opportunities to grow through after school and summer programs that support and educates and inspires them. TASC’s vision is that kids from all backgrounds will have access to the range of high quality activities beyond the school day that every family wants for their children. The experiences support their intellectual, creative and healthy development and help them to be their best, in and out of school.  

College prep activities can also lead to stronger relationships between the after school program and school administrators and teachers. The activities that the after school and day school programs share at least one common goal: student’s college enrollment and attendance. The different college  prep activities help students learn more about the different opportunities they have. It helps them to realize their full potential and have people encouraged them to go to college and achieve their different goals they have. AVID (Advanced Via Individual Determination) is postsecondary college readiness systems that sometimes starts in elementary it is designed to increase school wide learning and performance. The AVID system accelerates students learning, uses research base d methods of effective instruction, and provides meaningful and motivational development. Other examples of these types of programs are: Bright Prospect, Upward Bound.

 In our schools we should have programs and teachers that can motivate us and answer our questions about college. Teachers should do a better job in motivating students to make a better life for themselves and encourage them to seek higher education. Students should be able to get information in their schools with programs such as AVID, TASC ,Upward Bound, and Bright Prospects ,Can have a positive attitude about college and have the information needed to be prepares.

 

-Ana Coreas