It’s the end of the school year, and I know that teachers are wracking their brains trying to figure out what to do with their seniors now that they have completed their college applications, FAFSA, and committed to a school.
 
However, it is not over! Seniors still need assistance! We can’t let them develop senioritis, because they have to finish as strong as they started. Also, there are plenty of odds and ends that still need to be addressed before making that transition to college.
 
Below are just a few of the details seniors need to keep on their radar:

As a 12th grade teacher, I always think back to my beleaguered Math Analysis instructor during the seemingly endless months of April and May in my senior year.
 
She had recently emigrated from Ukraine and she would often stop what she was doing and just look at us, exasperation writ large on her face. 
 
“You,” she would say with her Ukrainian accent, “are TIRET of school.”  Then she would pause, survey the chaos, and let out a deep breath: “And I am TIRET of YOU.”

It’s that time of year: senior picnics, special assemblies, prom, trips to theme parks—all activities that keep students occupied with the business of moving toward graduation.  There is a “buzz” in the air; an electric excitement.  Conversations are less about how bad the cafeteria lunch is and more about how to pay for that dorm deposit or what forms are left to send to the college registrar’s office.  When I asked one of my students if he was ready to leave, he stopped, thought about it, and replied, “I am, but I’m not.” 
 
His story mirrors most graduating seniors. 

In my last post, I wrote about one of my most important motivations in teaching and college-access counseling: serving undocumented students.  This month, I’m continuing with some more specific tips.  Keep reading for my top 5 guidelines for supporting undocumented students!

Every school at some point experiences major transitions. Educators have health issues, administrators retire, beloved staff move. These things are not just inconvenient but often disruptive. Change is hard, and depending on who the person is, what the circumstances are, when the transition occurs, the effect on students and college-going culture can be devastating.