Make School Work for You!

Know Yourself - Learn more about yourself to find out: What you have What you need - Use this to make school work for you

Face the Facts - To be successful, you have to work hard. - Doing well in school brings many rewards.

Know What You Want Why do you want to do well? Take an advanced subject Get into college, university, or other program Get scholarships Please your parents Impress your friends Prove to yourself that you can Stay on a sports team

Know Where Success Leads What kind of life do you want after high school? Think about your ideal career Do some research Find out what some jobs are all about. Find out what training/courses/grades you need. Use this information to set your goals

Know Your Challenges Complete the in-class inventory Talk to teachers and parents Repeat this inventory later in the year to see where you’re improving

Build on your Strengths Knowing your strengths can help you overcome challenges. Learn how you learn best, then use this knowledge to help you work and study more effectively. You may need to work a little to adapt your strengths to individual challenges. Complete the Know your own Strengths Inventory Use it to help you become a better learner and successful student, and to boost your confidence!

Know what works for you Make a list of things that help you learn Talk to parents and teachers -- they might have noticed something helpful Be specific Use this information to make decisions on how you will learn Ex: packing your backpack, seat selection, project topics, group partners Complete the What works for me inventory

Know what resources are available to you Extra Support Tutors, teachers, study groups, workshops, support staff Technology and Courses audio tapes, computer programs, equipment Library Services librarian, library hours Specialized Programs Courses/programs for students with difficulties

Ask for what you need If you need something changed, you have to ask Plan and practice what you’re going to say Go in with a solution and a positive attitude State the problem and give an example Let people know you’re working on the problem (not slacking or trying to avoid work) Explain your solution to the problem Ask their permission for the accommodation

Scenario 1: - You’re working really hard to improve your reading skills, but often misread exam questions. Scenario 2: - You’re working really hard to spell correctly, but are having trouble. Scenario 3: - You’ve noticed that you work more slowly on tests than other students, even though you know your stuff.

Take responsibility Know what works for you. Make it happen! Bring your own extras (calculators, spellcheckers) Find visuals yourself if the teacher doesn’t supply them Be involved in conferences about your progress/learning If you know you have to do extra work to help you learn, do it! (Ex: reading a chapter before it’s covered in class)

Use self-talk “Talking to yourself is a sign of genius” - Me, in a conversation I had with myself Use positive messaging to encourage yourself: Turn “I can’t do it!” or “It’s to hard” Into “I can do it if I try!” “I am a hard worker” “I can use my strategies” Use self-talk to work through tasks step-by-step: Ex: “I’ve read it over, now I have to figure out what the question is asking.”

Set Goals The best goals are SMART goals: S - Specific M - Measurable A - Achievable R - Realistic T - Time-based

Possible Goals In class Organize each night for the next day Listen carefully Avoid talking to friends Practise taking better notes Finish all assignments and hand them in Participate actively Ask questions At home Organize each night for the next day Use a calendar Break large assignments into parts, set deadlines for parts Study in a quiet place Organize desk, drawers, papers