First-Ever PLP Presentations at BHS - Guest Post by Kim Fankhauser & Jory Hearst

April 5 and 6, the senior class at BHS presented their Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs). These presentations have been a long time coming. The intention has been to have seniors present their PLP before graduation to a small panel of faculty and peers, as a moment to pause and reflect on their growth over their four years of high school before walking across the stage to accept their diplomas.  While 2018-19 was the first senior class to complete PLPs as part of a new state graduation requirement, due to the pandemic, this year’s senior class was the first to actually present in-person.

For seniors, this was both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. At BHS, we’ve been talking aboutPLPs and preparing for years, without a culminating event until now. For faculty, these presentations were surprisingly powerful and moving. They made the PLPs come alive. Teachers reported that it was wonderful to learn more about their students.

From the nervousness of preparing for PLPs, to setting things up, having to assign teachers to each student, a lot of time and effort went into the day of the presentations. Most students showed up early, looking professional, and were ready to present. Seniors shared how they grew during their time at BHS, their biggest learning from high school, and most talked about how the pandemic impacted their life and education. For many students, they shared that their PLPs had felt like a chore, something they had to do to get to graduation. As they prepared to present, however, the PLP became a living document that showcased all they had accomplished in high school. Many students even saved pages they’d written as a 9th grader, and delighted at reading the words of their freshman self. For many, the presentations became the much-needed moment to pause and reflect on all these last four years have carried.

For teachers, they not only learned more about their own students, but also about other learning opportunities at BHS. Many reported that hearing students reflect on their time in high school gave teachers a greater understanding of the value of PLPs.