1. STUDENT SUCCESS SKILLS
Introduce self. “Wow!! I am excited to be here to share with you something that is going to make this year one of your best ever. I have discovered a program called Student Success Skills and it really works. It sets students like you up for success. Let me explain it to you.
They looked at all sorts of students from all over the country that were successful in all sorts of areas, school work, athletics, having good relationships, knowing how to handle tough situations, and they broke the code. They discovered that the thing that separates the most successful from the rest were a few key skills and strategies.
Now here is why I am excited. These few key skills and strategies are easily taught to anyone who wants to learn them. I became really convinced when I learned that studies have consistently shown that when students just like you have been taught these skills that they learned them easily and where able to use them right away. And the really cool thing is that almost everyone learned them so well that they improved dramatically on goals they selected including math and reading on their state standardized test.

2. STUDENT
SUCCESS
SKILLS
As I look back on 1st quarter, I wish I would have known then, what I know now…
Introduce self. “Wow!! I am excited to be here to share with you something that is going to make this year one of your best ever. I have discovered a program called Student Success Skills and it really works. It sets students like you up for success. Let me explain it to you.
They looked at all sorts of students from all over the country that were successful in all sorts of areas, school work, athletics, having good relationships, knowing how to handle tough situations, and they broke the code. They discovered that the thing that separates the most successful from the rest were a few key skills and strategies.
Now here is why I am excited. These few key skills and strategies are easily taught to anyone who wants to learn them. I became really convinced when I learned that studies have consistently shown that when students just like you have been taught these skills that they learned them easily and where able to use them right away. And the really cool thing is that almost everyone learned them so well that they improved dramatically on goals they selected including math and reading on their state standardized test.

3. Student Success Skills: We Focus on Five Things
Goal setting and progress
monitoring
Creating a caring, supportive and encouraging classroom
Cognitive/Memory skills
Performing under pressure:
Managing test anxiety
Building Healthy Optimism
The Student Success Skills program can be summed up with five things that we focus on”: Show “We Focus on Five Things” slide and ask volunteers to read each item.

4. 7th Grade Mini Meeting Survey Results

5. 7th Grade Mini Meeting Survey Results
32% of students said biggest concern was failing grades.
23% said biggest concern was completing homework
17% of students said biggest concern was with having study skills and organization

6. 7th Grade Mini Meeting Survey Results
32% of students biggest concern was difficulty with angry feelings
24% of students biggest concern was being teased or bullied at school
20% of students biggest concern was feelings of sadness or depression

7. 7th Grade Mini Meeting Survey Results

8. How many of you think the outer ring of this picture is important to doing well in school or on a team or in a job? Why?
I would like to help this class make sure you have that type of community this year. With this kind of caring, supportive and encouraging community you all can help each other learn the skills you need to master this course and also reach other goals that are important to you.
What about the skills at the bottom of the triangle? There are three types of skills that separate high and low achievers. See next slide.

9. We will be finding out more about these Learning Skills, Social Skills and Self-management Skills. We know that a combination of these three skill sets seems to be the key to academic and social success.

10. So, What is in it for Me? Makes learning easier
Spring standardized tests easier
Look forward to coming to class
Learn strategies to make learning easier
Learn to manage anxiety so you will do better on tests
Have better relationships with peers
Be happier and feel better
So, here is what’s in it for you.
Having these skills makes learning easier and sets you up for success. You will be amazed at how much better school goes when you use a few simple strategies and skills.
All through the year you learn easier and more and when it comes time for standardized testing in the spring it is a piece of cake because you have learned so much more.
You will learn how to help create the kind of caring, and encouraging atmosphere that makes you look forward to coming to this class because of how others treat you.
You will learn some easy to use memory strategies that make remembering key facts simple.
You will learn how to manage anxiety so that you can perform at your best even under pressure.
These skills will help you to have the kind of caring relationships you want with peers and others. You will learn how to develop the skills most valued by peers, and later employers.
These skills will help you to manage yourself so that you have more happiness, greater health and success. You will learn some easy ways of increasing your energy and mood.
Are you ready to get started?

11. Caring Community Look, Sound & Feel Like…
Take 2-3 minutes and reflect on your journal page what this class would
Look…
Sound…
Feel…
like if we were caring, supportive and encouraging.
So, here is what’s in it for you.
Having these skills makes learning easier and sets you up for success. You will be amazed at how much better school goes when you use a few simple strategies and skills.
All through the year you learn easier and more and when it comes time for standardized testing in the spring it is a piece of cake because you have learned so much more.
You will learn how to help create the kind of caring, and encouraging atmosphere that makes you look forward to coming to this class because of how others treat you.
You will learn some easy to use memory strategies that make remembering key facts simple.
You will learn how to manage anxiety so that you can perform at your best even under pressure.
These skills will help you to have the kind of caring relationships you want with peers and others. You will learn how to develop the skills most valued by peers, and later employers.
These skills will help you to manage yourself so that you have more happiness, greater health and success. You will learn some easy ways of increasing your energy and mood.
Are you ready to get started?

12. Let’s see if we can figure out what a caring, encouraging, supportive classroom would look like, sound like, and feel like.
Divide class into groups of three: Provide flip chart paper and markers to each trio. Show sample of flip chart paper divided into three columns: Looks Like Sounds Like Feels Like
Ask each trio to brainstorm 5 concrete examples of what this class would look like (60 seconds). Ask trios to report to whole class. Record answers onto composite chart.
Next, ask each trio to brainstorm 5 concrete examples of what this class sound like (60 seconds). Ask trios to report to whole class. Record answers.
Then, ask each trio to brainstorm 5 concrete examples of how it would feel to be in this kind of caring supportive and encouraging class (60 seconds). Ask trios to report to whole class. Record answers. Save flip chart sheets for posting in the class.

13. One of the greatest predictors of student academic success is their level of healthy optimistic thinking.
Seligman (1995).
Being optimistic about what you can accomplish is important. Read quote.

14. Don’t doubt your ability
Optimism
Don’t doubt your
ability
Being optimistic about what you can accomplish is important.
If what you are doing isn’t working don’t doubt your ability. Instead you can take a look at what you are doing and try something else.

15. Optimism – 3 Questions Is it personal? Is it pervasive?
(temporary)
Is it pervasive?
(spreading)
Is it permanent?
(forever)
Let’s take a look at three questions that can help us to learn more about being optimistic.

16. The Pessimist It’s me. I can’t learn this math. (it’s personal)
I’m stupid. I’m not good at learning. (it’s pervasive)
I’m never going to get this stuff. (it’s permanent)
This student has just received a quiz with a poor score. The pessimist says… (refer to slide)

17. The Optimist
It’s not my ability, its my strategy, my study plan, etc. (not personal)
It’s just one test, I’ll bring it up on the next one. (not pervasive)
It’s just a temporary setback
(not permanent)
On the other hand, when the optimist receives a poor quiz grade…..(refer to slide).

18. Connect the dots with four lines without lifting your pencil.
On the other hand, when the optimist receives a poor quiz grade…..(refer to slide).

19. If what you’re doing isn’t working – pick a new strategy
If what you are doing isn’t working, pick a new strategy. Don’t continue the same strategies if they haven’t worked. If you started through the maze and didn’t get to the end you would go back a try again. It would not make sense for you to take the same path the second or third times – you would try a different route until you found one that got you to where you wanted to be and would then continue to take the successful route.

20. Optimism Chant Don’t doubt your ability Doubt your strategy
Try something different
Have students join you in the Optimism Chant: Prompt students with: If what you are doing isn’t working don’t doubt your ability. If what you are doing isn’t working: doubt your strategy. If what you are doing isn’t working: try something different”.

21. Sometimes it is all about how you see things.
Have students join you in the Optimism Chant: Prompt students with: If what you are doing isn’t working don’t doubt your ability. If what you are doing isn’t working: doubt your strategy. If what you are doing isn’t working: try something different”.

22. We may need to change our perspective.
Have students join you in the Optimism Chant: Prompt students with: If what you are doing isn’t working don’t doubt your ability. If what you are doing isn’t working: doubt your strategy. If what you are doing isn’t working: try something different”.

23. If you can’t even imagine yourself being successful – you never will
If you can’t even imagine yourself being successful – you never will. Once you can imagine yourself being successful, the next step is to practice. You can start with some mental practice and imagine yourself practicing the skill or strategy you will need to be successful. It is also helpful for you to plan for real practice of the skills (for managing anxiety or getting ready for a test, etc.). You will want to notice and encourage yourself as you make improvements towards your goals. If you don’t quite get there, you can start over with a different strategy or maybe just make a slight change to the strategy you are currently using. Remember to encourage yourself by acknowledging that you are very close and with continued practice you will get there.

24. Kaizen Japanese Small, seemingly insignificant improvement
Continuous and never ending improvement
The ability to notice even very small improvements in ourselves and also in others
Introduce the concept of Kaizen from slide.
One way to stay optimistic is to use the principle of Kaizen. As we try new skills and learn to check our progress we want to become experts in noticing even very small positive changes in ourselves and others. When we notice a positive change in others we want to be sure and tell them that we noticed it. Saying encouraging things to ourselves and others helps us all stay focused and also helps us to make and keep friends.

25. Kaizen Little by little, Bit by bit, I’m improving, Everyday
Have students stand up and follow you through the hand play for Kaizen.
Introduce Life Skills before going to next slide:
“What if you could control just a few things that would almost guarantee that you had high energy and a positive mood most of the time? How many of you like to have lots of energy and feel good? I am going to show you a list of five things that you can easily do that gives students your age lots of energy and positive moods.

26. Look at first item on your Life Skills sheet.
Ask volunteer to read the first item, highlight “guidelines” then ask:
“Who has improved even a little during the past week, or stayed at a good level?”
Get examples from 1-2 students and prompt:
“Tell us what you did to improve or stay at a good level”
“Who else has tried this or something similar?
Another volunteer reads next item followed by the prompts above - continue pattern for rest of items
Go to next slide for goal setting.

27. Goal Setting for Health & Wellness
Think, Write, Pair Share & Volunteer Share
GOAL: To improve what I eat this week.
ACTION PLAN: I am going to cut back to one soda per day and eat a piece of fresh fruit each day.
Look back at your Looking Good Feeling Good sheet and pick one area you most want to improve this coming week and one thing you could do to show improvement. Here is an example.
I will give you a few seconds of quiet time now to think of your goal and action plan. When you have you goal and plan in mind I want you to write it down and give me the thumbs up sign.
In just a moment I will ask you to share your goal and plan with a partner. When you share your goals, I want you to use a special kind of listening called Listening with Eyes, Ears and Heart. Go to next slide for eyes, ears & heart .

28. G.L.A.D. G – One Gratitude that you’re thankful for today.
L – One new thing you Learned today.
A – One small Accomplishment you did today.
D – One thing of Delight that touched you today.
Look back at your Looking Good Feeling Good sheet and pick one area you most want to improve this coming week and one thing you could do to show improvement. Here is an example.
I will give you a few seconds of quiet time now to think of your goal and action plan. When you have you goal and plan in mind I want you to write it down and give me the thumbs up sign.
In just a moment I will ask you to share your goal and plan with a partner. When you share your goals, I want you to use a special kind of listening called Listening with Eyes, Ears and Heart. Go to next slide for eyes, ears & heart .

29. Looking Ahead… Skills for next lesson: Life Skills
Listening with Eyes, Ears & Heart
Seven Keys to Course Mastery
Safe Place
Breathe, Picture, Focus
Memory Pegs
Overview of new skills for next lesson and skills we will continue to use.

30. What do you think each of the three words (eyes, ears, heart) mean when related to good listening? Review and provide examples of each.
Now, I’d like you to use this special kind of listening to share your goal and plan for Looking Good and Feeling Good with a partner. You will have 30 seconds to share your plan.
Next, ask for a few volunteers to share their goal and plan with the whole class and model Listening with Eyes, Ears and Heart. Collect the Looking Good Feeling Good sheets and save for the next lesson.

31. Take A Break – Brain Gym
I’d like to share one other idea that students find fun and helpful. It involves taking breaks from studying and moving to improve concentration and general health. Let’s try this out while I show you a few movements that can help you get your circulation going and send oxygen rich blood to your brain. While playing a positive message tune, demonstrate a few “Brain Gym” movements and ask students to follow your lead.
End with a few slow deep breaths.

32. Fun and joy are connected with Mastery
Fun and joy are connected with Mastery. Mastery comes from Practice, Persistence and Encouragement. This year we want each of you to master this subject. Having fun just comes along with it!