Embracing the Unexpected: Building Skills Through Rock Point Electives

Every quarter, students choose from several electives, which meet three times a week to supplement the curriculum and provide a fun way to start their morning. Elective options range from academic to athletic, musical to whimsical. Past offerings have included playwriting, tarot, Dungeons and Dragons, makerspace, wellness and meditation, and psychology, just to name a few. This quarter, Mari and I are leading an elective designed to encourage students to step out of their comfort zones, build resilience during non-choice activities, and practice the skills of leadership and positive participation. 

Many students struggle with the paradox of choice. Too little choice, and they resist because of a lack of agency, which can affect buy-in of the activity as they struggle to feel connected to it. Too much choice, and some students struggle to connect at all, feeling adrift in a sea of options.  In our experience, both scenarios can appear similarly: some students, used to being told what to do, approach new experiences—academic or otherwise—with indifference or even judgment. Others just want to get things over with, rushing through activities to move to the next. We see both approaches in students new to Rock Point—as we do everywhere—and part of our work as educators is to re-engage learners and foster genuine interest in education. While you might see us high in trees, drawing dinosaurs, or making movies, we’re working toward that mission in our new elective, Just Go With It.

As we described during the quarterly elective “pitch” before sign-ups: This is an elective where we won’t be doing just one thing. If you join us, Each week brings a different activity, from dance parties to trivia challenges to craft projects to computer programming and beyond. Every student is asked to lead at least one activity and to be a positive contributor for the rest. There’s room for choice, and always an invitation to be curious and engaged in our community. It’s gonna be fun. What?! I just have to do what someone tells me to? What if I don’t like the activity? Why’s it so open-ended? What even is this elective? Yes, we heard all the questions and answered as best we could. In the end, though, we returned to the core message: Just Go With It.

Nine students signed up, and after an initial expectations meeting and planning session (What do you want to lead? What do you like to do that you want to share with the group? Yes, maybe we should make a shared playlist to listen to as we do activities!), the elective was off and running. So far, we’ve played sardines and hide and seek throughout the entire school, a collaborative drawing challenge, joined a tree climbing expedition, and a step-by-step drawing tutorial of sharks and dinosaurs. Upcoming plans feature music and lyric analysis, stop-motion animation, sledding, and more.

So how’s it going? Mari and I are positively thrilled. The elective offers a low-stakes way to practice resiliency and grit during activities that may not always be a first choice. The enrollment is large by our standards and represents a mix of all core groups. This arrangement creates opportunities for older students to model encouragement and enthusiasm and gives younger students opportunities to practice leadership skills in a safe and positive environment. Walking by, you might hear the group’s namesake phrase often amid good natured giggles: “All right, I’m out of my comfort zone here, but… let’s Just Go With It!” Students encourage each other to try their best, praise effort when peers are struggling, and seem to genuinely enjoy the process. In the end, each activity only lasts a day – students know that they can do it. They can be positive, kind, curious and encouraging, and then they can move on to something new. But we know as educators that the positive, kind, and curious energy students practice tends to spill into their other experiences. We’re building resilience, one silly activity at a time. 

One of the perks of a school like Rock Point is the chance to be together outside of a strict core classroom. Students know that the elective is mandatory and credit-bearing, and they are quietly practicing the all-important transferable skills of community engagement, communication, and critical thinking. Moreover, they are playing together, being curious about each other’s interests, and trying non-choice activities with enthusiasm.