IdeaSpark:Session Structure
Session Structure
Every program site should have about 1 mentor for every two students. That means every time you come to a session, you’ll be working with a pair of students. Try to meet new students and find ones you “click” with early on. Stick with those students as much as possible. Having consistency in mentorship from session-to-session is a very important aspect of the student’s experience.
Resources
Throughout the semester, you’ll have a number of resources to help guide you:
- Your team captains
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The Bold Idea wiki (our knowledgebase)
- Semester syllabus , additional activities, tips, how-to's, etc.
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The ideaSpark curriculum (Easy-to-read printed guides for students and mentors)
- Structured activity guides
- Code references
Typical Session Agenda
A typical session has the following structure:
- Warm Up/Icebreaker Game To get students comfortable with the group and ready to start the session
- Introduction/Recap: To introduce the day's topic area and/or review learning from previous session
- Activity time: This may include one main activity or multiple activities. Be sure to include time for at least one break !
- Reflection & self-assessments : Mentors work with students to do their 3-2-1 Reflections and Self Assessments
- Clean up: To give time for cleaning up the space, packing away laptops and power cords, and any other "housekeeping" tasks prior to releasing students from the session
- Debrief/mentor huddle: Mentors meet for a few minutes after the session to go over what went well, what could've gone better, what to change for next week, etc.
View mentor roles
Additional Considerations
Importance of breaks: Depending on the length of the session, it will be useful to include breaks to give students a mental break and ensure that they are engaged over the length of the entire session. Provide breaks when it would be most useful: at the halfway point of the session, between activities, and especially when you see students getting antsy or no longer able to focus on the current activity. Mentors can always use icebreaker/warm-up games during breaks to get students active and change things up.