Before students decide for themselves who their trusted school adults are, advisory programs assign them an adult with the intention that a connection and trust will grow. There's no guarantee that the match will be perfect, but by pairing a staff member with a student, advisory programs signal to students that relationships at this school matter and that students have a specific caring person they can go to with questions or concerns.

Advisory programs take different shapes in different schools, but generally, advisory time is intended as a respite, a touch point, and a launchpad that allows every student to experience at least one period a week where an adult is available, offering support, listening, and playing rather than assigning or grading. 

Effective advisory programs: 

• provide an appropriate forward-focused curriculum (we recommend the Ripple and BeBold advisory programs!).
• dedicate specific time (and protect it).
• make advisory a tech free time and space.
• maintain clarity of purpose.
• encourage student involvement in planning.
• invest in training for advisors.

One key to advisory success is a focus on facilitation strategies that foster conversation and strengthen connection. Many advisory programs offer lessons that build individual leadership and life skills, and also enhance connection and trust among group members. The advisor’s approach to these lessons is crucial to the impact they make on students. 

Here are 11 strategies for running successful advisory groups (that can also be applied to classroom, club, and team settings):

1. Prioritize presence, play, and possibility.

The 3Ps (presence, play, and possibility) provide a strong foundation for healthy adult-to-youth interactions. When you intentionally begin advisory or any engagement with a young person by establishing presence, playing a game or completing an activity, and discussing goals, hopes, and possibilities, you're preparing you and the youth in your care for better relationships and deeper engagement.

To learn more about the 3P’s, and to find fun and engaging activities, check out our FREE “Back- to-School Community Building Kickoff Kit” download — CLICK HERE.

2. Define the “why.” 

Talk about your “why” for teaching and the “why” of the advisory space. Share with your group the objective of advisory at your school and ask them why they think it is important to have advisory in the schedule. Share why you think it is important.

3. Don’t be the expert. 

Play, explore, investigate, toss ideas around, and meet your advisees where they are. Invite the young people to teach you what they know, share what they observe, and express how they feel. Ask other adults from your school or organization’s community to participate in different parts of your advisory program to get their perspective and insights.

4. Participate with them! 

Whatever activities you plan for your advisory, be sure to jump in and do the activities with your group rather than just facilitating the experience for them. We hear again and again from young people that their greatest memories, most meaningful times at school, and maximum joy in advisory come when the adults play the game, do the craft, or participate in the challenge with them. 

5. Co-create group agreements. 

Start a conversation about the norms and expectations participants need to follow to have a good experience. Upfront conversations about what an advisor is (and isn’t), and how you will all treat one another in advisory, are important to the success of the group all year long. 

6. Get comfortable with silence.

When young people stare at you in silence after you throw out a question or prompt for discussion, you might feel awkward or anxious. Take a breath and embrace your discomfort; if you wait long enough, someone will speak. If you are working with a particularly quiet group, you can give them the option to respond to questions in writing.

7. Keep the focus on ideas rather than individuals. 

Avoid the tendency to make everything personal. Although we hope advisees will connect advisory lessons to their current lives, it may not be appropriate for them to share details about a recent problem with a friend, a family situation, or a personal decision they need to make. Remind them to focus their contributions to group discussions on the big ideas; you can even ask, before calling on a participant, “Is your comment about an idea or an individual? If it’s about an individual, I ask that you hold onto it. If it’s about an idea, I encourage you to share it.”

8. Change it up. 

If things are not clicking one day, get up and move, play a game, do an icebreaker, tell a story, or ask your advisees: “If you were to create a workshop on this topic for your age group, what would you do?” This always enlivens the conversation!

9. Make it yours. 

Believe in what you are offering, bring energy to the material, and deliver the advisory content in a way that feels authentic to you. Expect different levels of engagement and vulnerability from your advisees, and look to make the lessons relevant to your life and theirs.

10. Practice the ABCs of being a trusted adult. 

Make yourself:

Accessible—approachable, present, and playful

Boundaried—operating within safe, appropriate, and healthy professional limits

Caring—invested in the well-being of your advisees

When it comes to boundaries, recognize your limitations; proactively identify the people and supports in your school or organization you must report to if the activities or discussions prompt any disclosure of abuse, or if you suspect neglect of any kind. We encourage you to post the “What Gets Shared Here” message, in your space. Sharing the boundaries of your role with advisees helps build trust. As a youth-serving professional, you should always be aware of the mandated reporting responsibilities in your state, as well as the reporting expectations within your school or organization. Youth work is teamwork—don’t go it alone. Use your resources.

11. Never underestimate your role. 

Even if your advisees are not jumping up and down with excitement to tackle the advisory lesson of the day, remember that you are planting seeds and assisting them in building a strong foundation for a healthy, happy, safe, and successful future. Don’t underestimate your impact.

 

Draw from these tips and tools and adapt them to your own style. If you are working with a co-facilitator, be sure to share this list and agree on the strategies that make the most sense for your group.

Remember that we can only go 50 percent of the way in building trust with young people. We can only work to be trustworthy; they will decide if they can trust us. 

Showing up to your advisory, class, club, or team, and implementing these strategies gives your group the greatest chance of connecting with one another and with you. 

 

Looking for an advisory curriculum that's leadership-based, tech-free and requires no-prep?

Ripple Journal Middle School Advisory Curriculum

BeBold High School Advisory Curriculum