Guidelines for Success

The rules for success in this course are simple:

1-Participate. This is NOT a lecture course. I try to structure class so it is student centered rather than teacher centered. In a teacher-centered classroom, the instructor lectures or leads discussions and the students listen, take notes, and respond to questions. In a student-centered classroom, students play a more active role: they initiate discussion, work collaboratively, and may even help set course goals. The rationale for this approach is that YOU will learn best when YOU are an active participant.

2. Be community minded. Treat others as they want to be treated. This means asking questions and listening when someone else is talking. As Simon Sinek said, "There is a difference between listening, and waiting for your turn to speak." Come to class prepared. I respect your time by working hard on our class lessons and adapting to fit the needs of our class. Respect my time and the time of your peers by being on time, getting a good night’s sleep, eating well, having assignments completed, and always having appropriate clothing for going outside.

3-Get comfortable with a DIY ethos. My goal in this class is to help you become capable of making, doing, and teaching yourself. This is a good strategy in any class, but especially important in a class like Environmental Stewardship, which is designed to launch you into your future academic and professional career. I’m going to give you what you need to get started, and then get out of your way to let you flail, flounder, and flourish! You can ALWAYS come to me with questions--but I will always begin our conversation with the question “What did Google say?”

You will receive consistent feedback from me and from your peers, so start getting used to hearing what they think of your work. Learning to evaluate your own thinking and composing is part of the DIY ethos. In the end, your work, your brilliance, and your high school career are yours--own them!

4-Challenge yourself. In-depth critical reading, thoughtful commentary, active participation, and ambitious projects are so much more captivating than safe, easy ones. Stretch yourself and I’ll be impressed, even if you don’t always pull it off. I promise, no one will be a bigger cheerleader for your success this semester than I will be – as long as I know you’re working hard.

(inspired by Marissa Landrigan)