Advisory Goal 3:
Grade:
To help advisees identify and develop the
necessary attitudes, behaviors and skills
to succeed in school, college and life
9
th
NOTE
This may require
advisees to complete
letters outside of
advisory.
Gathering: Concentric Circles (an activity that gives students a chance to share
5 MINUTES
responses with a variety of partners; see Glossary)
Activity/Topic: -FUUFSUPUIF'VUVSF
20 MINUTES
Closing: Whip (a positive, incomplete statement that is completed in turn by each per5 MINUTES son in a circle; see Glossary)
Materials: -FUUFSUPUIF'VUVSF2VFTUJPO8PSLTIFFUPOFQFSTUVEFOU
Letter to Myself
Guide (one per student), lined paper (two sheets per student), envelope
(one per student), pens
Grouping: Whole group, pairs, individual
Session Goal:
Students will write letters to themselves in order to reflect on who they are, how they have
changed and what their goals are for the future. These letters should be given back to them shortly
before high school graduation.
Gathering:
Concentric Circles
Choose from of the following questions:
t
t
t
t
8IBUBSFZPVSGBWPSJUFUIJOHTUPEP 8IBUJTPOFXBZZPVBSFEJGGFSFOUGSPNXIFOZPVXFSFJONJEEMFTDIPPM 8IBUNBLFTZPVVOJRVF )PXDBOUIJTRVBMJUZIFMQZPVJOUIFGVUVSF 8IPNBLFTZPVGFFMUIBUZPVTIPVMECFSFTQPOTJCMF )PXEPZPVTIPXUIJTQFSTPOUIBUZPV
are responsible?
t 8IBUNPUJWBUFTZPVUPTVDDFFE 8IBUJTPOFDIPJDFZPVWFNBEFUIBUIBTIFMQFEZPVTVDDFFE t 8IBUJTPOFMPOHUFSNHPBMZPVIBWF 8IBUJTPOFTQFDJmDTUFQZPVDBOUBLFOPXUPNBLFUIJT
goal a reality?
t 8IBUJTPOFXBZZPVXPVMEMJLFUPDIBOHFCZUIFUJNFZPVTUBSUDPMMFHFJOPSEFSUPBDIJFWF
your goals?
NOTE: If there are an uneven number of students in your advisory, you can participate in the
concentric circles gathering.
NOTE: This is a suggested gathering connected to the activity. You may want to substitute a
gathering you do routinely in your advisory that is unconnected to the activity.
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Advisory Session Guide Ninth Grade
Activity/Topic: -FUUFSUPUIF'VUVSF
1. Explain that the purpose of today’s session is to reflect on who students are now and what
their goals are as ninth-graders and to record these thoughts in a letter to themselves, which
they will read when they are in 12th grade.
NOTE: If you did the gathering activity, you can tell students that they have already begun
reflecting upon some of these questions.
%JTUSJCVUFUIF-FUUFSUPUIF'VUVSF2VFTUJPO8PSLTIFFU.
Point out that the directions indicate that they have a choice about which questions from
each section they would like to answer. (They can choose more if they like.) Circulate and
confer with students as needed.
3%JTUSJCVUFMJOFEQBQFSBOEUIF-FUUFSUPUIF'VUVSF(VJEFUIBUEFNPOTUSBUFTBTVHHFTUFEMBZPVU
for their letters. Tell students to address their letters to themselves.
4. As students write, circulate and confer with them as needed. Encourage students who were
absent to answer the questions today, write the letter at home and bring it back to advisory.
Debriefing:
t 8IBURVFTUJPOT
EJEZPVFOKPZBOTXFSJOH t 8IBURVFTUJPOT
XFSFDIBMMFOHJOHUPUIJOLBCPVU t 8IBUEJEZPVSFBMJ[F t
8FSFUIFSFBOZTVSQSJTFT l
What was it like to write a letter to your future self?
Closing:
Whip
One word to describe how I will feel when I get my letter back at graduation is …
NOTE: Collect students’ question sheets.
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Advisory Session Guide Ninth Grade
2VFTUJPO8PSLTIFFU
/BNF@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@"EWJTFS@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@%BUF@@@@@@@
*OUSPEVDUJPO2VFTUJPOT$IPPTFUXPPGUIFGPMMPXJOHRVFTUJPOTUPBOTXFS
1. Who do you live with?
)PXXPVMEUIFQFPQMFZPVMJWFXJUIEFTDSJCFZPV 3. Who is your best friend?
)PXXPVMEZPVSCFTUGSJFOEEFTDSJCFZPV 2VFTUJPOTBCPVU:06$IPPTFUISFFPGUIFGPMMPXJOHRVFTUJPOTUPBOTXFS
5. What are your favorite things to do?
6. What things make you unique?
)PXBSFZPVEJGGFSFOUOPXGSPNXIFOZPVXFSFJOUIFTJYUIHSBEF 8. What is one thing people don’t know about you just by looking at you?
2VFTUJPOTBCPVU3&410/4*#*-*5:$IPPTFPOFPGUIFGPMMPXJOHRVFTUJPOTUPBOTXFS
9. Who makes you feel that you should be responsible? (Example: my parents, my younger
CSPUIFS
)PXEPZPVEFNPOTUSBUFZPVBSFSFTQPOTJCMFUPUIJTQFSTPO
8IBUJTPOFXBZZPVXPVMEMJLFUPCFDPNFNPSFSFTQPOTJCMF )PXXJMMZPVLOPXZPVWF
become more responsible?
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Advisory Session Guide Ninth Grade
Copyright © 2009-2012. The College Board.
LETTER TO THE FUTURE
11. What motivates you to succeed academically?
12. What motivates you to succeed socially?
13. What choices have you made that help you to succeed academically?
14. What choices have you made that help you to succeed socially?
8IBUDIPJDFTIBWFZPVNBEFUIBU%0/05IFMQZPVUPTVDDFFEBDBEFNJDBMMZ 8IBUDIPJDFTIBWFZPVNBEFUIBU%0/05IFMQZPVUPTVDDFFETPDJBMMZ 2VFTUJPOTBCPVU:063(0"-4$IPPTFUXPPGUIFGPMMPXJOHRVFTUJPOTUPBOTXFS
17. What long-term goals do you have? (Example: college, career or life goals)
18. What is one personal asset (positive quality) you possess that will help you achieve your
goals? (Examples: patience, sense of humor, determination, trustworthiness, cooperativeness,
self-discipline, etc.)
19. What is one way you would like to change in the next four years to help you achieve your
goals?
20. What is one specific step you can take now to make your goals a reality?
$PODMVTJPO2VFTUJPO
21. Remembering what you just said your goals and dreams are, how do you think you will feel
about yourself when you get this letter back before graduation?
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Advisory Session Guide Ninth Grade
Copyright © 2009-2012. The College Board.
2VFTUJPOTBCPVU$)0*$&4$IPPTFUISFFPGUIFGPMMPXJOHRVFTUJPOTUPBOTXFS
INTRO
The INTRODUCTION
is your 1st paragraph
(questions 1–4)
YOU
YOU is your
2nd paragraph
(questions 5–8)
RESPONSIBILITY
RESPONSIBILITY
is your 3rd paragraph
RVFTUJPOT
CHOICES
CHOICES is your
4th paragraph
(questions 11–16)
GOALS
GOALS is your
5th paragraph
(questions 17–20)
The CONCLUSION
is your 6th paragraph
CONCLUSION
(question 21)
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Advisory Session Guide Ninth Grade
Copyright © 2009-2012. The College Board.
LETTER TO MYSELF GUIDE