Being the best you were made to be - Caren Falconer ( booklet )

Dear Reader.

 I have written this for the children I tutor. Please feel free to copy and use it with your own children. Over the years I have found that children need to have a bigger vision of their education than is offered to them. Why are they at school? What is the purpose of maths and Xhosa. 

 This booklet does not really answer that but perhaps is a launch for some good conversations around that.

 I hold that education is a gem. A real privilege . A gift offered to a child but a gift that he has to take and own for himself. Yes we support and help and encourage from the sideline, but in the process he has to take the batton and run the race. I hope this little booklet helps to shift attitudes  and help him to take a step towards owning his education.

 That is what this book is all about!!!

How to be the best you were made to be!!

Do you want to do your best at school?

 If your answer is yes, then read on.

I have put together some HOT tips for doing YOUR very best at school.

I have taken them from a very helpful little book by Dave Schaller called passing exams. I have also added some of my own ideas from all the work you have helped me with over these years and from having 4 of my own children.

I really hope this will inspire you to always give of your own, personal best. When you work hard; listen well; work your neatest and participate in class, the winner is actually ...

YOU!!

Giving of your best in all of life is about your character. It shows what kind of person you are. It reflects that you care about yourself and others. This is called respect!!

Hot tip #1

Set yourself a personal goal and try not compare yourself with other children!!

Going to school is part of getting an education. This  is a special gift that your parents are giving you. Many children in our country and in the world are not able to learn and grow as people who can live healthy lives in the world. It is such a privilege to be able to learn to read, write and think.

My hope is that some of  what you read here, might inspire you to work the best you can and reach for success.

Only YOU can do it!!

Ask a parent to read this with you and help you think through some of the ideas.

Hot tip #2

YOU are the one who is responsible for your success at school.

You are the one who benefits from the success.

It is all done by you and you will get the reward.

Your parents have passed these tests and this grade.

Yes, there are several people who are here to help and support you.

* your parents

* your family

* your teacher

* your tutor

* other adults who care

BUT

in the end, it is up to you!!

What is your goal for your schooling ?

Why do you go to school?

Going to school is about .........................

Perhaps  you are motivated to work well because you want to do well. You want to know that you have done your very best. This is a good goal to have for yourself.

Write down why you think you go to school and what your own personal goal is. Share it with someone.

Perhaps you want to be popular. Wanting to succeed means you need to surround yourself with friends who also want to succeed!!!

If your friends are lazy, disruptive and don't care, that will rub off on you and you will become someone who does not care.

*

How do you fell about tests, assignments and exams?

How you feel will influence your attitude towards these aspects of school.

If you are negative and moan about them then this attitude will get in the way of your success in studying.

What is your attitude towards exams and tests?

Have a think and write it down here........

Hot tip #3

If you want to succeed in your schooling and at exams, you need to have the right ingredient.....

a good, positive attitude!!

Exams always seem to make us groan but actually if we think differently about them, they become easier to do.

Here is a list of why exam time is actually fun.

* schoolwork finishes

* school closes early

*perhaps you get yummy treats to eat

* in High school you might get days off at home

* in our family we get to spend some good time together because we are not so busy at school

you can add to this list with your own ideas......

Having a good approach in attitude to schoolwork and exams really helps you do well and be successful!!

*

Getting an education is of great value in life. It will open the doors to many other opportunities in life as you go forward. This part is just a stepping stone to the next bit.

so....

How can you be successful and do well at school?

what do you think?............................

 Hot tip #4

One of the things that help you do your best is if you decide to work consistently throughout the term and the year.

Working well in class is working smart. If you pay attention to the lessons, ask questions and participate in it, you will develop a healthy, good attitude towards school.

Strangely, your brain is very sensitive to the messages you feed it. If you work hard at being positive, it will mean that studying is easier for you and you will do better over all.

Your brain believes the messages you tell it about yourself and your school work. If you say things like....

I can do it....

I am able to.....

I like or even love maths....

Even if I struggle I will get help .....

then you are helping your brain think positively about work.

But

If you say I can not do it....

I hate it.....

then you are making the work you have to do, more difficult.

Hot tip #5

Habits.

A habit is something that you begin doing regularly  and eventually it becomes part of who you are. Habits can be good - like reading regularly or bad like biting your nails. A habit becomes part of your day and the way you live.

here are some healthy - good habits to develop

1. Reading ---- If you read  every day you become a good reader - you are a reader by habit There is a saying that is helpful!! 

 

“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”― Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

2. Exercise -  doing some form of exercise in the week and especially when you are writing exams is extremely good for you.

3. Eating - We all love to eat something. Eating healthy food and drinking water regularly helps feed our brains and bodies with stuff that it an use. Our brain can then help us learn!!

Developing good habits at school and with your school work, means you are helping yourself do your very best now and later on in your life.

What can you do to develop good habits at school and with your school work? What habits can you develop at home or at church. Everywhere you go, healthy habits are a good way to go. 

Make your own list of good, healthy habits .......

Today you can decide to develop self discipline and hard work at school, in the classroom, in doing homework and with exam studying.

Healthy habits begin with working consistently throughout the year.

work neatly in your book.

listen well and join in with the class discussion

do your own personal best.

DO NOT compare yourself to others.

Surround yourself with friends who choose success and be a friend that encourages others to succeed.

Hot tip #6

Decide to do it and commit to it!!

Over the years I have helped children succeed at school, I have noticed that the way a book is set out helps with the general organising of ideas in your brain.

It is helpful to yourself, if you always...

Work in an organised way when writing in a workbook or on a computer tablet.

Have a date, heading, page number if you have a textbook.

Try and work consistently ( in the same way) on each page.

You do not need to be super neat and colourful to be organised. Boys can be organised too!!

underline

work as neatly as YOU can.

write complete sentences and all the work required ( not just the answer)

If you work like this throughout the year, then studying is a pleasure.

Participate in class discussions. This helps school become more interesting.

Do all your homework on time!!

Hot tip #7

Get help if you need it.

If you feel that you are struggling  at school. Perhaps you do not understand everything. Perhaps you are not able to concentrate. Perhaps you are tired and sleepy and perhaps you just can not get organised.

Get help!!!!

Ask your teacher or parent to help you. there are people who help children who struggle with all sorts of things.

Hot tip #8

Keep going.

Persevere.

You do not need to be the best of all. You need to do your best.

Studying for tests and exams

1. most of the work was done in class and with your homework. You know it.

2. make sure you have all the right books to study from

3. have a place to study ( quiet)

4. have paper and pens ( colourful) handy

5. have a timer

6. set up a helpful planning time table - stick it up in a good place with your exam time table

7. get enough sleep, exercise and healthy food while studying and writing tests/ exams

8. begin with enough time to study well and revise

9. go for it!!!

10. do not be afraid. Fear shuts your brain down and you can not learn or write with success in mind. You do not need to fear a test if you have

worked consistently

studied well

Rescue remedy helps with anxiety.

*

a word about study techniques....

Mind maps -There are many ways to help your brain gather and remember information

Making a mind map is a very useful way to take large amounts of work and simplify them .

Other ideas -

Use white board markers to write on windows and fridge doors to help you remember. ( ask mom first)

Find any way that helps you get the information into your head.

You might need to move; talk to yourself; bounce a ball.

All the while thinking about what you are learning. It must make sense in your brain!!

Practice writing a past test if you can.

Practice writing neatly for the test so that your teacher can read your writing.

Ask your mom or dad to ask you some questions from your work.

But

don't expect them to learn for you.

You must do this for yourself. 

You can make flash cards for learning pairs of words like opposites in Afrikaans and English or even if you need to learn a list of definitions in science.

Put the one idea on one side and the other on the other side.

Flip them over to check yourself.

Reading over your work is not studying. It is reading.

Remember all this hard work is done by you and you will be the one who gets the reward.

Success and an education is a great reward.

Being educated is a precious gem that no-one can take from you and it is a door that opens into a world of possibilities!!