Freshman 101: Critical Thinking and Study Skills

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 150

My grant, entitled Freshman 101 was created in order to support freshmen as they make the challenging transition from middle school to high school. I teach a new class called Critical Thinking and Study Skills and have been given much flexibility in regards to what I teach and how I teach it. Having taught freshman English for many years, I know that one of the biggest challenges for this age group is organization. If I only had a dollar for each time a student said they lost something! To that end, one of my goals this year was to make sure all freshman had the organizational skills necessary for success. Additionally, I wanted to engage their ability to think critically, a skill that most colleges say is lacking in their own freshmen students.

To that end, the funds awarded to my classroom for this grant were used to enhance lessons on organization, teambuilding, and critical thinking. I was able to purchase binders, notebooks, index cards and other basic supplies to help keep their student binders neat and accessible. Also, I purchased many common household items that were used for critical thinking and teambuilding activities (see attached photos). These activities were a big hit with the students as they worked collaboratively in teams and pairs to build, create, and problem solve.

I have been teaching in Naples since 2003 and have always been impressed with our community’s involvement in the education of our county’s students. The fact that our community members are so generous with their time and money is what makes Collier County so special. Thank you again for your gift – I invite you to come out to LWTHS next year so you can see this program in action. My 9^th graders get so excited when they experience any level of success, and this program certainly provides them with that opportunity. Again, many thanks for your generosity!