Increase Trust, Deepen Belonging
World Leadership School works with schools to improve advisory, the regular times during the school week when students meet in small groups with a trusted advisor to build relationships and community. We believe advisory is the “human heartbeat” of school. Advisory helps create belonging, deepens learning, and advances equity by helping each child feel seen and heard.
But in many schools, advisory feels uneven and patchy. Sometimes it’s a catch-all for announcements or a place where students get donuts and relax. Some teachers love advisory while others feel the opposite. Some teachers need no support to run an effective advisory, while others need detailed lesson plans and support.
In our work with schools, we ask “How might we reimagine advisory to build trusted adult relationships and create communities of belonging?” We help schools:
- Explore foundational understandings about advisory and how it can anchor the school’s mission and strategic plan
- Create a clear scope and sequence of advisory at each grade level
- Build a curriculum guide that offers both clear activities and opens space for each teacher’s humanity
- Engage teachers in deep listening and storytelling, while also dispelling myths about what vulnerability is and what it’s not
- Create walk-through teams and other systems to ensure the consistency of the advisory experience
