Sault Area High School & Career Center

 

 

 

 

Course Syllabus

LINKS Peer Mentoring

Ms. Henderson

Contact Information

Email- jhenderson@eupschools.org

Website address - https://www.saultschools.org/Page/2443

Phone- (906) 635-3839 ext. 5932

Peer Mentoring Course Description

1905401- LINKS Peer Mentoring

Prerequisite: Approval of instructor and counselor, must have good attendance

This course will teach peers to model typical academic and social behaviors in educational environments and provide support for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities in order to promote independence and socialization. Peers, in return, gain increased skills in organization, responsibility, problem solving, decision making, and accountability.

 

Purpose Statement

The student enrolled in the LINKS program will be a mentor, role model, and friend to a student with a disability. In this role, the LINK student will be with their assigned student for a minimum of one class period per day. In addition to daily interactions within the academic classroom, the LINK student will also participate in online modules to increase their understanding of Autism Spectrum and other disorders. The LINK class assists students in their consideration of a career in the Human Services Career pathway. Teachers, Psychologists, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Guidance Counselors are only a few of the professionals who work with students with disabilities. LINKS is a course that enables the student to make a difference in another person’s life. In addition to the academic content of the course, there is ample time to apply what you are learning as you become involved in the life of another student.

 

LINKS students will learn:

 

Leadership skills Effective communication skills Skills related to Human Service Occupations Information about Autism Spectrum Disorders Problem solving techniques

Insight to other disabilities Reflective listening Group process skills How to identify and respond to stereotyping and discrimination How to advocate for others (and self) Applied psychology in dealing with others

 

 

Course Content

Students in the classroom will have the chance to interact and form friendships with the secondary transition students. They will be graded on attendance and participation, Autism Internet Modules, a final project, exams, and quizzes. Students will have the opportunity to participate in field trips and service learning projects as well.

Evaluation Criteria

This course is evaluated on a points based system.  Students are graded on participation, a pre-test, online modules and assignments with one quiz per module, a final project, and a mid-term and final. Attendance and participation is worth 5 points each day.  Homework assignments are worth 25 points.  Quizzes vary in point value.  Mid-term and final exams are worth one-hundred (100) points, and the final project is worth one-hundred (100) points. A student must earn a 60% in order to pass the course.  Extra credit will not be given.

Participation

The students with whom the LINKS are assigned come to rely on their help on a daily basis. If the LINK is absent, their assigned student may have a difficult time managing his/her class work and behavior.  Good attendance is critical! If a LINK student must be absent due to illness or emergency, please call or email and report the absence before 7:30 am every day of the absence.

Assignments 

As a part of student training, online modules regarding ASD or other related topics will be assigned.  Assignments will be required in response to these modules.  Expect some of this reading and writing to be done as part of the technology inclusion program being used at SAHS. Computers will be available in class to allow LINK students to complete online modules. All assignments are to be original to the student, complete, and in the form expected by the teacher.  Assignments are expected to reflect the best possible effort by the student.  

 

Final Project  

You will be required to complete and present a project related to your LINK experience. You may use a variety of mediums to complete your project. Some examples include creating a poster or power point presentation, writing an essay, or creating a video.

 

Tests and Quizzes

There will be a Mid-term and Final exam given, as well as a quiz at the end of each module.

 

The grading scale for Peer Mentoring is as follows:

                     100-93 is an A            73-76 is a C

90-92 is an A-            70-72 is a C-

87-89 is a B+             67-69 is a D+

83-86 is a B               63-66 is a D

80-82 is a B-              60-62 is a D-

77-79 is a C+             0-59 is an E

 

Our school employs a semester grading system with report cards issued to students (4) times during the course of the school year.  A term will be approximately nine (9) weeks.  Final grades are calculated on a semester basis.  Final grade calculation is based on 40% for each of two marking periods and 20% of the final exam.    

Homework Policy

All assignments are to be handed in on time. If you are planning an excused absence, or if you have been absent, talk to me and I will get you the necessary work for the time you will be gone.

Make-up Work

While attendance in school is understood to be a major indicator of student success, I realize there will be times when a student will be absent.  For this reason, make-up work will be evaluated as follows: A student will be given one day to turn in work for each day he or she has missed.  A student is allowed ten (10) absences per semester.  Absences excused by a medical professional, school related absences, and absences excused by an administrator will not be figured into one of the ten (10).

Classroom Expectations

• All students will come to class prepared to learn. You should come to class with the proper items for learning, such as a writing utensil, paper, and any other items necessary.  You should also be attentive during instructional time and give your best effort on all assignments.  Lastly, we are all responsible to make sure that our actions do not distract others in the class from being able to learn.
• Each student deserves to feel safe expressing his or her thoughts and feelings in the context of our material and the learning process.  Comments or actions unkind to other students will not be tolerated.  
• I expect that you will treat the classroom staff, as well as each of your classmates, with the same respect.  Therefore, we will not interrupt when others are speaking, we will not take or use things that belong to other people, and we will be considerate of one another.
• We will not do anything in our classroom that would be a distraction to the ability of other students to learn and other teachers to teach. We will also treat the building, the classroom materials, and the other individuals in the building with respect.  
• Please observe the expectations of Sault Area High School and Career Center as outlined in your student handbook.  This can be found at https://www.saultschools.org/Domain/481  No outside food or drinks allowed in the classroom, except bottled water. There may be cooking activities that you will participate in that coincide with our transition students’ daily living skills activities.
• Remember the 4 B's! Be safe, Be respectful, Be responsible, and Be ready to learn!

Classroom Procedures

Seating Chart

You are expected to sit with your assigned student every day, unless otherwise instructed. We will assign students within the first month of school.

Paper Headings

Please make sure all assignments have your name, date, and class hour listed at the top of the page (where indicated) on all assignments.

Tardiness

You are tardy if you are not in the classroom when the bell rings.  Tardiness will be handled as per the handbook.

Dismissal

The bell does not dismiss you at the end of class.  I will dismiss you.  You must be in the classroom until I dismiss you.

Electronics

There are to be no cell phones being used in my classroom unless permission is given. If a student is using a cell phone or other electronic device during my class, the device must be willingly handed over to me to be picked up at the end of the hour.

Concluding Thoughts

I anticipate that we will have another full and rewarding school year.  Most students taking this class find their lives enriched in so many ways by the end of the school year. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time with questions you may have about the course.