麻豆传媒入口

In many high schools, only the top few highest-performing students get the chance to give a speech sharing a reflection on their school journey. But at Casco Bay High School, in Portland, Maine, every graduating senior experiences this opportunity. Through a series of introspective writing exercises, students craft a speech to deliver to an audience of classmates, family, and the greater school community that helps them make meaning of their four years of high school and look to the future with confidence. The result is a powerful, joyful event鈥攁nd an established rite of passage that the school鈥檚 younger students look forward to. 

Says high school senior Kaya, 鈥淣ow that it鈥檚 done and I performed it, [I know] I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to be successful without being pushed. It鈥檚 the genuine care and love that the teachers have because they want you to succeed. They know your greatness and potential.鈥� 

English language arts teacher Susan McCray, who supports and guides the students as they write their 鈥渇inal word鈥� narratives, believes the experience is transformative for the students. 鈥淓very single kid is heard,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd cherished, in that moment. Right? Loved, in that moment. Because that鈥檚 what happens up there.鈥�

To learn more about the research behind the practices seen in the video, check out the links below. 

• The American Academy of Pediatrics鈥� (2018) 
• Kayleigh Skene, Christine M. O鈥橣arrelly, Elizabeth M. Byrne, Natalie Kirby, Eloise C. Stevens, and Paul G. Ramchandani鈥檚 (2022) 
• Rachel Parker, Bo Stjerne Thomsen, and Amy Berry鈥檚 (2022)

• Jerusha Conner, Michael Posner, and Bright Nsowaa鈥檚 (2022)
• Kristina Zeiser, Carrie Scholz, and Victoria Cirks鈥檚 (2018)
• Janneke van de Pol, Monique Volman, Frans Oort, and Jos Beishuizen鈥檚 (2015)
• Cheryl J. Travers, Dominique Morisano, and Edwin A. Locke鈥檚 (2014)