School Spotlight: Maple Grove Senior High’s Positive Direction Class
Maple Grove High School Students Discover New Life Skills
Students are crediting a unique class called Positive Direction with helping them achieve greater success.
Maple Grove Senior High behavior intervention teacher Amber Hegland started the class four years ago. It quickly sparked popularity among students.
“The first year I was teaching three courses per trimester, now I’m teaching five,” said Hegland.
The Positive Direction course uses what’s called the Top 20 Teens curriculum to teach students social-emotional skills of how to be successful.
“How to believe in themselves, develop perseverance and grit. Seeing things from a different perspective,” explained Hegland.
Students Talk About Impacts of Positive Direction Course
High school senior Lynnea Johnson said it’s her 7th time taking the class. She said it was a wake-up call, changing the way she views things.
“I had an experience using the skills that she taught me and I was like holy crap, I could use this and this is useful towards myself,” said Lynnea.
Larry Welch said prior to taking the course, he put minimum effort into classes. Now he’s a straight A student.
“They teach us that this stuff does matter. It’ll help you for your future. Before you’ve made mistakes, learn from them, build up from the ground again and move past your mistake,” said Larry.
For eleventh grade Allsion Beyer, she learned that a heavy work schedule combined with schooling is achievable.
“We got these planners in the beginning and it blocked out hour by hour and I kind of realized how much time you actually have once you take out the junk you don’t need to be doing, so that helps,” Allison said.
Positive Direction Results
Hegland told CCX that 87% of students have higher grades and passed all their classes after taking the course.
“It’s all about support and giving support to kids that need it,” she said.
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Maple Grove Senior High School
