Download Wayfinder sample curriculum and activities perfect for use in advisory! Download Sample Advisory Activities.
A well-crafted advisory can serve as a cornerstone for student development and future success. Designed to foster connection, growth, and skill-building, advisory programs can provide students with opportunities to navigate the complexities of school life and prepare for the challenges beyond. With much programming grounded in social-emotional learning (SEL), this regular meeting time is an opportunity to enhance engagement, build school culture, and empower students with tools for academic, personal, and professional success.
The Role and Benefits of Advisory in K-12 Education
Advisory offers structured opportunities within the school day where students can regularly engage in lessons, discussions, and activities that promote personal growth and community building. Activities done in advisory can touch on topics like teamwork, goal-setting, emotional regulation, and self-awareness. In an education landscape that faces increasing pressure from student mental health concerns, cellphone and social media use, and behavioral challenges, advisory programs provide a crucial space for connection and support.
The benefits of advisory can’t be understated. By integrating SEL principles into advisory activities, schools create environments where students feel safe, valued, and capable of tackling academic and personal challenges.
Research highlights the importance of SEL for students, showing that students engaged in SEL programs demonstrate improved academic performance, stronger relationships, and better emotional regulation. Advisory activities that incorporate SEL are particularly effective in creating a culture of belonging and trust in which students feel safe to take the risks they need to take to develop academically and socially.
Teachers also benefit from advisory, as this time allows them to build stronger relationships with students, which ultimately improves their ability to manage their classrooms and encourage positive student behaviors. Meanwhile, schools as a whole see enhanced academic outcomes across grades and student backgrounds, reduced office referrals, and a more cohesive culture.
A well-designed advisory program is well supported by a structured SEL program that includes both a sequenced curriculum and a robust library of activities that can be drawn from as needed to respond to student interests and needs. By tailoring activities to different grade levels, schools can maximize the impact of advisory sessions, meeting the developmental needs of students from elementary to high school.
Advisory Activities for Elementary Schools
Elementary schools rarely have times designated as “advisory.” However, many times throughout the day play a similar role: morning meetings, transitions, and additional beginning- and end-of-day routines. In elementary schools, SEL activities focus on building foundational skills such as empathy, communication, and teamwork. At this stage in their development, students are forming a sense of self and beginning to navigate relationships with peers. Explicit social-emotional learning sessions provide a safe space for students to practice these competencies through engaging and developmentally appropriate opportunities to test their emerging skills.
For example, storytelling activities can teach empathy by encouraging students to see the world through someone else’s perspective. Group games can build communication skills and foster a sense of community. Wayfinder activities that guide students to identify their emotions, learn to respond to them intentionally, and practice kindness with others provide structured ways to meet social-emotional learning targets, helping young learners lay the groundwork for positive social interactions and self-regulation.
Advisory Activities for Middle Schools
Middle school is a time of significant transition, marked by heightened social awareness, identity exploration, and susceptibility to peer pressure. Advisory activities in middle schools should address these unique challenges while supporting students’ emotional and social development.
Activities that focus on navigating friendships, managing stress, or building resilience are particularly effective. For instance, the activities in Wayfinder’s middle school Stress + Anxiety Collection teach students practical strategies for emotional regulation, while those in the Collection Healthy Relationships can guide them through the complexities of peer relationships. By incorporating SEL curriculum resources, educators can provide middle school students with the tools they need to thrive during this pivotal stage.
Advisory Activities for High Schools
High school advisory programs are critical for preparing students for life beyond graduation. At this stage, advisory activities should focus on helping students set goals, develop self-reflection skills, and prepare for future jobs, careers, and/or postsecondary education. Advisory programs also play a vital role in supporting students’ mental health, a growing concern for teenagers today.
High-impact activities for high school students address topics like setting personal goals, building healthy habits, and exploring postsecondary paths. Activities like those in Wayfinder’s Chronic Absenteeism, Leadership + Entrepreneurship, and Exploring a Purposeful Path Collections equip students with practical life skills, build self-confidence, and support them to approach academic and personal pursuits with intentionality and purpose. Effective SEL curriculum taught through advisory can provide real-world tools to guide students in making informed decisions and handling challenges with resilience and self-efficacy.
Implementing Advisory Activities Effectively with the Right Resources
To maximize the impact of advisory programs, educators need well-planned activities and structured resources that address the unique needs of the students in their classrooms. Customizing advisory activities to reflect student demographics, school goals, and developmental stages is essential for success.
Key strategies for implementing effective advisory programs include:
- Leveraging a high-quality SEL Curriculum: Use a research-backed SEL curriculum to provide a foundation for advisory activities.
- Accessing supplementary activities: Equip educators with a diverse set of ready-to-use advisory lesson plans tailored to various age groups and topics.
- Prioritizing professional learning and adult SEL: Provide educators with training to facilitate advisory sessions effectively and adapt activities to meet students’ needs. Teachers’ experience and comfort level with SEL will vary, and many will benefit from opportunities to learn best practices, receive feedback, and reflect on their practice. Additionally, adults need opportunities to develop their social-emotional skills just as much as students do. Building in time for goal-setting, reflection, mindfulness, and collaboration can make them more emotionally prepared to facilitate SEL effectively and model the behaviors they hope to see in their students.
By integrating these strategies, schools can create advisory programs that foster student engagement, build school culture, and support whole-student development.
Building a Supportive, Whole-Child Approach with Advisory Activities
Advisory activities are more than just a program—they are a pathway to building supportive school environments where every student can thrive. By prioritizing SEL in advisory, schools create a culture that values connection, empathy, and growth. District leaders and educators seeking to enhance their advisory programs can turn to research-backed tools and strategies to support student success. With intentionality and the right resources, advisory activities can transform classrooms, strengthen school communities, and prepare students for successful futures.
Download Wayfinder sample curriculum and activities perfect for use in advisory!
Download Sample Advisory Activities
