1. HIGH SCHOOL 101 John Hope College Prep. Shavon Fields, M.Ed., L.P.C., GEAR UP Counselor

2. Guiding Questions What attitudes, skills, and behaviors do students need to become successful in high school? Which do middle school students lack? Assuming students have the scholastic knowledge needed for high school, what deficiencies keep students from having a positive academic and social experience in high school?

3. Activity List the questions, concerns, and fears an 8 th grade student may have regarding the transition to high school and success in high school. What obstacles do they fear may keep them from having positive academic and social experiences?

4. High School Concerns Peer relations/pressure Peer relations/pressure Studying Studying Difficult class work Difficult class work Passing tests Passing tests Making/keeping friends Making/keeping friends Getting into trouble Getting into trouble Picking classes Picking classes Teachers Teachers Excessive homework Excessive homework After school activities After school activities Difficult peers Difficult peers Fights/Arguments Fights/Arguments Getting into college Getting into college Not graduating Not graduating

5. High School 101-1 Allow students to brainstorm questions, concerns, and fears. Allow students to brainstorm questions, concerns, and fears. Assist students to identify most important items on the list. Assist students to identify most important items on the list. Divide students into groups and assign each group an issue from the refined list. Divide students into groups and assign each group an issue from the refined list. Allow groups to elaborate on their assigned issue and present their explanations/examples to the class. Allow groups to elaborate on their assigned issue and present their explanations/examples to the class.

6. High School 101 Lessons Peer relations/pressure Peer relations/pressure Difficult peers Making/keeping friends Fights/Arguments Getting into trouble Getting into trouble Dealing with Teachers People Skills People Skills Choices and Consequences Choices and Consequences School Etiquette/Policies School Etiquette/Policies

7. High School 101 Lessons Difficult class work Difficult class work Passing tests Passing tests Studying Studying Excessive homework Excessive homework After school activities After school activities Personal Learning Styles Personal Learning Styles Note-taking Note-taking Test-taking Skills Test-taking Skills Study Skills Study Skills Time Management Time Management

8. High School 101 Lessons Picking classes Picking classes Getting into college Not graduating Planning for Graduation Planning for Graduation Transcripts Transcripts

9. People Skills Activity Instruct students to list the top 3 reasons that they think people get fired, or quit their jobs. Instruct students to list the top 3 reasons that they think people get fired, or quit their jobs. AND List the top 3 reasons that they think students get in trouble in high school. AND List the top 3 reasons that they think students get in trouble in high school.

10. People Skills The common thread is that most people get fired and/or quit their jobs/get in trouble in school, in part, because they don't get along with their bosses, co- workers, customers, teachers, and/or classmates. The common thread is that most people get fired and/or quit their jobs/get in trouble in school, in part, because they don't get along with their bosses, co- workers, customers, teachers, and/or classmates. 70% of people, across the country, who are fired or quit their jobs do so because they can't get along with either their bosses, their co-workers, and/or their customers. 70% of people, across the country, who are fired or quit their jobs do so because they can't get along with either their bosses, their co-workers, and/or their customers.

11. People Skills In order to succeed in the world of work, and in high school, students will need to see the importance of getting along with as many people as possible.

12. ‘What To Do’ Scenarios 1. You have just arrived at a local business for a job interview. You are wearing a nice, clean uniform. When you walk into the building, the receptionist tells you that you look like a 'bum' and that you need to go home and change clothes. You think you look great. What are you going to do? 2. You are working the front counter at McDonald's. A customer walks up to the counter and orders a Big Mac with NO mayonnaise. She looks right at you and says, "Are you listening? I said NO mayonnaise!" You input the order correctly, but your co-worker in the back covers the bun with greasy, thick mayonnaise. The customer looks at the mayonnaise dripping out of her Big Mac and looks over your way and calls you a "brain-dead moron." What are you going to do?

13. ‘What To Do’ Scenarios 3. You are driving into a crowded mall parking lot and just as you are about to turn into a front-row parking space a 60- year-old guy, talking on his cell phone, cuts right in front of you and takes the parking place. You know he saw you and took your parking place anyway. When he gets out of his car, he looks over at you and laughs. What are you going to do? 4. You have a teacher who is strict and doesn’t seem to like you. She gave you a D on a major project because she believes it was written in a hurry at the last minute. You worked hard on the paper for a week, and even though it was not great, you believe you deserve a higher grade. What are you going to do?

14. People Skills Activities Students write responses Students write responses Students discuss worst case responses and resulting consequences Students discuss worst case responses and resulting consequences Students write and act scripts for scenarios showing ‘bad’ people skills and practicing newly learned people skills Students write and act scripts for scenarios showing ‘bad’ people skills and practicing newly learned people skills

15. People Skills 1. 'win / win' You don't have to win every battle to win the war. 2. burn no bridges You never know when you will have to cross bridge again. 3. agree to disagree People can disagree in a big way and still get along. 4. the 'art' of compromise Successful relationships only succeed when there is compromise.

16. People Skills Listen more and talk less Listen more and talk less Wear their shoes Wear their shoes 'Win' with a tie 'Win' with a tie Disagree and let it be Disagree and let it be Cross the bridge twice Cross the bridge twice

17. Goals To learn and develop the attitudes, skills, and behaviors (related to people skills) needed to become successful in high school

18. Results AttitudesSkillsBehaviors The number of students who believe it is important to get along with as many people as possible increased from ___% to ___% The number of students who could identify and define at least 1 people skill increased from ___% to ___% The number of students who could apply a people skill to a difficult scenario produce a win- win situation increased from ___% to ___%

19. High School 101 HOW TO DO HIGH SCHOOL

20. HIGH SCHOOL 101 John Hope College Prep. Shavon Fields, M.Ed., L.P.C., GEAR UP Counselor