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Teachers and JA

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"[The Junior Achievement program] truly supports Michigan standards and benchmarks for the MEAP test, improving students' vocabulary and understanding of economics. They do it in a fun way, involving parents, and it supports our comunity as well." -- Ballard Elementary School teacher

Deborah Turner, Information Technology teacher, who thinks that all students should have the Success Skills program.       Ninety-eight percent of teachers who have been involved in JA programs request the program back each year, many also requesting the same volunteer! They tell us that their students have a deeper understanding of economic concepts and vocabulary, and display an increased appreciation for the value of education and how it relates to career opportunities.

       Participating teachers like the fact that Junior Achievement programs aren't an "add-on" or a "fluff course," but provide an easy way to integrate the economic component into their classroom curriculum. The JA curriculum correlates to state standards and prepares students for standardized testing, such as the MEAP tests, while allowing them to have fun as they participate in interdisciplinary activities that reinforce the concepts being taught. Best of all, the lesson plans are already done, and volunteer business consultants (often, classmates' parents) do the presentations and bring the real world into the classrooms.

       There are programs specifically formulated for all grades, K - 12. Junior Achievement's Elementary School Program is organized in a series of seven related themes, each building upon the other, that help students in kindergarten through fifth grade learn about the U. S. economic system. Junior Achievement's several highly effective programs for middle grades and junior high school students reinforce the value of education and teach students about the future economic benefits of staying in school, helping teens make difficult decisions about how to best prepare for their educational and professional future. The high school programs help students make informed, intelligent decisions about their future, and fosters skills that will be highly useful in the business world.

This teacher participates in the activities along with her class.       What is the role of the classroom teacher in the JA partnership? It's really very simple: The teacher will receive a copy of the Guide for Consultants and Teachers, and will work with the consultant to determine the day and time of presentations, communicate any schedule changes in a timely manner, stay in the classroom to help keep order and discipline students if necessary, assist with activities (such as dividing students into groups), and reinforce materials between sessions. Many of our teachers also recommend JA consultants for their classrooms.

       Students participating in JA learn economic concepts and understand them more deeply, developing more positive attitudes toward work and lifelong learning. They also learn the value of working together in large and small groups, and realize how every segment of society is interdependent on every other. Some students who may have considered dropping out of school are actually encouraged to continue on and work hard toward goals they formerly considered out of reach, because their consultants helped them realize that their futures are in their own hands.

If you'd like to look into adding your class to our schedule, please call Sue at (269) 983-7579 or email info@michianaja.org.