The swinging rhythm of the Sequoia Jazz Band lent a carnival atmosphere to the quad during Wednesday’s lunch. The students poured into the semi-circle of tables to poke around the painting, ceramics, gourmet food, and – atop a table labeled IB Psychology – a big jar of candy.
Welcome to the first annual Sequoia Electives Fair.
The event was the result of collaboration between our counseling department and ASB. Dialogue between Head Counselor Melissa Pérez and Activities Coordinator Corey Uhalde led to a massive organizational effort by student leaders. Scrappy, “let’s put on a show!” stuff, made possible by the increase in staff collaboration time built into our weekly schedule.
Teachers and student reps set up tables representing the broad array of elective offerings available at Sequoia. The event was timed with the kick-off of course selection for next year. Counselors are now presenting to classes and helping students make important decisions about which pathway they will choose to complete graduation and UC/CSU A-G requirements.
Elective classes play an important role in a student’s academic life. Culinary Arts, Ceramics, Woods, or Guitar might provide a contrast in a weekly schedule filled with rigorous academic subjects. Entrepreneurship or Java might be the first taste of a potential career. Electives are how students put their personal stamp on the educational experience. Opportunities like the Electives Fair aim to make these decisions as meaningful as possible.
We want our students to go beyond superficialities (“My friends are taking it…” or “I heard it’s easy…”, e.g.) when selecting courses. We want them to be empowered. Which brings us back to the big jar of candy.
IB Psychology teacher Erin Cespedes invited me and three other students to her table as I made my way around the quad. “Would you like to take part in a quick experiment?” she asked. The students and I looked at each other, looked at the candy, shrugged, and said, “Why not?” We listened, followed the instructions, and were amazed at the results. An activity we thought was about guessing how many items were in a jar turned out to be about cognitive bias. “Ok,” said the student to my left, “I definitely want to take this class now!”
You and me both!
Have a great week!
Best,
Sean
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