At Barrington (and many other middle schools throughout the county), we use a program called âThe Wheelâ to educate our 6th grade students about the electives we offer.
Hereâs how âThe Wheelâ Works
- Students get a designated class period dedicated to âThe Wheel.â
- Students, along with their classmates in that period, will spend approximately 2 weeks with each elective teacher.
- During those 2 weeks, students will learn about that elective to help determine if itâs something they like.
- Once that 2 week period is up, the entire class rotates to another classroom and spends the next 2 weeks with a different elective teacher learning about their program.
- Just before Thanksgiving Break students finish âThe Wheelâ after having spent time in every elective program here at Barrington.
- At that time, they pick their top 3 elective choices and will spend the rest of the school year in one of those three elective choices they get matched with.
- And thatâs how âThe Wheelâ works!
Parents often ask, âWhy does it says Careers for this class on the schedule?â
- The reason for that is because in addition to learning about Barringtonâs electives, students will also learn about different career paths they could pursue later in life.
- These career paths are taught through a curriculum called âCareer, Research, and Decision-Makingâ (CRDM for short).
- And thatâs why it says âCareersâ on your schedule!
Supply List
- Simple folder with pockets like these (you donât have to buy these, just wanted to provide an example for clarity)
- A few sheets of loose leaf paper in that folder
- Wooden Pencil (no mechanical pencils or pens allowed)
We donât go heavy on notes when students are going through âThe Wheel.â We require students to keep a folder so they can keep the information they get from each elective along with the information they get about careers.