Every year the school district puts together special days known as Wylie Way Days. These days are meant to break away from the standard school curriculum and help teach students specific skills for their life. This year the Career and Technical Education (CTE) hallways allowed students to sign up for different endorsement activities for the class period. 

“​Our inspiration for this idea came from professional conferences that teachers and other professionals attend,” said Wylie Way Day curriculum planner Jill Hill. “We appreciate being given choices about what sessions we attend, and we thought students might like having some autonomy about what they learn about in their CTE classes on Wylie Way Day. ”

The CTE students were allowed two different sign-ups at 15 minutes intervals, and each CTE teacher came up with a specific session topic that related to their career path or what they felt high school students needed to know before they graduate.

“The objective of our idea was to provide students with real-world, hands-on experiences that they need to be productive, healthy adults,” said Hill. “There is a call for this type of curriculum from parents and community members, and what better way to provide these types of experiences than in CTE!”  

In Hill’s Education classes her session focused on healthy coping skills for when life gets tough. Six stations were set up with researched based activities for relieving stress, identifying and regulating emotions, grounding yourself or a friend when anxious, and increasing overall happiness.

“I heard so many students saying things like ‘this is so fun! I love getting to go to different teachers! This is the best Wylie Way Day I’ve ever had!’ We also had lots of teachers express that they loved getting to teach a life skill that they think will be important for students and their future. Overall, I feel like it was a success, and we hope to make it even better!”