1. Make School Work for You!

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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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!

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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)

13. 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.”

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

15. 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