Classroom
You are working quickly on a math problem in class. In ten minutes, you are done with the worksheet and the teacher checks it. Turns out, you mixed up many of the numbers on the worksheet, which makes you get a bad grade. What strategy could be used in this situation to make sure you read the numbers correctly?
Say what I am thinking: This strategy reminds me to say my actions and thoughts out loud. By listening to my process, I can make changes and catch my mistakes.
Your teacher assigns you homework for the night. You had time to finish it early and went to go eat a snack. The next day, your teacher gives you a zero on the homework. Turns out, you never turned in the assignment! What strategy can be used in this situation?
Check my work: it helps me review my work carefully so I can catch mistakes and make sure my work is complete.
Your mom was supposed to go with you to the park at 4 PM. It is now 4:30 PM, and she still isn't off her work call. What strategy can you use in this situation?
Be flexible: This strategy helps me to think of different ways to approach a task, especially if I’m stuck. It helps me to adapt by adjusting my approach, and prevents me from thinking too literally.
It is your first day in class, and you are hoping to make new friends! You start talking to Susan, a girl in your class, about how you both have two small dogs at home. What strategy are you using?
Make connections: This strategy helps me connect new information to information that I already know. This helps me understand it. Then I can solve a problem or do a task that’s unfamiliar.
Your teacher assigns you a big research paper on dinosaurs that is due in two weeks. After reading the directions to the essay, you get super stressed out at the workload, and don't know how you are going to get it all done! What strategy can be used in this situation?
Chunk: This strategy helps me break down a large task into smaller ones. That makes it not so overwhelming. Also, I am able to understand it better.
You are cooking a new pizza recipe at home with your family, and are in charge of making the dough. Since you are super hungry, you skip over the directions and go straight to cooking. The pizza dough ends up soggy and mushy at the end! What strategy could you have used in this situation?
Read the title and directions/ say the directions in my own words: This strategy helps me make sure that I understand what to do. It can also help me understand what is being asked if it is confusing at first.
While you are reading a passage in class, you see the characters, setting, and actions in your mind like a movie. This helps you better understand and remember what you are reading. What strategy are you using?
Visualize: This strategy helps me to picture in my mind how things are or should be. This helps me remember information.
Your teacher has been lecturing about trees for the past ten minutes. You love trees and know a ton of super cool facts about them! You remind yourself to not interrupt your teacher with your facts, and instead, raise your hand and tell them to the class at the end of the lecture. What strategy are you using?
Stop and plan: This strategy helps me to stop and think about the steps I need to take so I can solve a problem or reach a goal.
You and your dad are heading to LA for the weekend. You all plan to leave at 7 AM to avoid the daily traffic at 9 AM. What strategy are you both using?
Find patterns: This strategy helps me to notice what is similar or repeating in order to learn how things usually happen.
You get your Science test back from your teacher, and it turns out you got a C. You really knew all of the material and are confused by the score. It turns out that you skipped 10 problems and forgot to answer them. What strategy should you use next time to make sure this doesn't happen?
Do the problems in order: This strategy helps me remember to do problems in order so that I don’t skip any of them.
Your teacher assigns you homework for the night of reading a passage and answering questions about it. The passage is a couple of pages long, and you have soccer practice soon, so you zoom through it. When you get to the reading questions, you are super confused. What strategy could you have used while reading?
Pacing: This strategy reminds me to slow down when tasks are difficult so I can carefully approach them. It also reminds me to pick up the pace with familiar tasks that are easier.
Your family is going out for dinner tonight, but no one has any good ideas of where to go to eat. You all take a minute to think of a good restaurant for the night. What strategy are you using?
Brainstorm: This strategy helps me think of many ideas or solutions and then pick the best ones.
Your teacher asks you to work on a multiplication worksheet independently at your desk. You don't like math, especially multiplication, and end up working on the first problem for ten minutes. By the time you are done with problem #2, it is the end of class, and you have to do the rest for homework. What strategy could you have used to help you not have homework?
Pacing: This strategy reminds me to slow down when tasks are difficult so I can carefully approach them. It also reminds me to pick up the pace with familiar tasks that are easier.
You are in the middle of your Zoom Science lecture when a friend texts you. You know you will miss the test review if you respond, so you wait until class is over. What strategy are you using in this situation?
Metacognition: This strategy helps me think about my learning so I can control it. That way I know when something is too easy, too hard, or at my level. If it’s too hard, I can use all of my strategies.
You are walking back from a hike with your family to get to where you parked the car. You remember it was parked next to lifeguard stand number 5, so you search for it as you walk. What strategy are you using?
Pay attention to the important details: This strategy helps me slow down and evaluate which details are important for the task.