I began on Sunday working one on one with a student who I have known for years. She is lovely, intelligent, engaged and has used her high school experience perhaps to the fullest. She has great college choices, and is taking into consideration perspectives that she feels strongly about. And, even with all of this I feel she got some positives from playing ENTER THE CAVE and looking at RISK IT. I want to play my games with more high school students.
On Monday I tried once again to reach guidance counselors at two schools I am personally familiar with, to no avail. Guidance counselors wear many hats and are rising, in my estimation, to the level of teachers. If a teacher or guidance counselor is effective, engaging and involved they are not being paid enough and there is not enough of them for all the students they are being asked to serve. My Sunday game player told me at least once story about her guidance counselor that gave me such pause! And, it had nothing to do with the guidance counselor's effectiveness, just with the fact there is not enough support for students.
I also went to a college fair with my daughter. I had some wonderful, engaging moments myself. My daughter had some wonderful engaging moments. And, we also each found ourselves in the middle of a large, cattle call that became increasingly hot, loud and chaotic.
Yesterday, I traded emails with another guidance counselor who cannot send his students to my focus group next Monday because the room I am renting is not religiously ok for his students. I totally get it, but it only increases the frustration of my not being able to rent a "community" room in my local library to offer free access to games for high school students focusing on transitional issues and college.
I realize I have a good product that needs more feedback to increase its relevancy.
Where do I find the warm bodies to give me the feedback?
Today, I had a wonderful, warm conversation with a young woman who works in an innovative high school program (in fact, that is part of their name). She emailed a colleague and asked for more information. Perhaps these games could become useful tools in an after school program which helps high school students become better prepared to go to college?
What have I learned? High schools are institutions which have a preplanned curriculum and little opportunity to adjust as they go to new options. Businesses that have a central mission or theme, and stick to it, but have the ability to adjust and grow as problems and opportunities present themselves, may succeed more often than businesses that stick to the program, no matter what.
Going to college is complicated. Going to school is complicated. Life is complicated. Could someone just please tell their high school students to come spend two hours playing ENTER THE
CAVE and RISK IT, to help their transition to college??
Gen, Regan is willing to come play the game. I also talked to a co-worker who has a daughter in 11th grade and several other GS leaders who would talk to their girls. Let me know when and where! Can adults play too?!
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