Paying Attention
You’re in class and your phone keeps lighting up which prompts you to check it and stop paying attention to what’s going on.
Turn off notifications
Put your phone in another room
You got a bad grade on an assignment when you tried your best on it and now you think the world is ending and you’re going to fail all of your classes
Look back at the assignment and your notes to figure out what was different
Send your teacher and email or visit them in office hours to figure out what went wrong
Breathe
You dropped a plate in your house and it shattered into a million pieces.
Clean it up as best as you can
Let your family know so they can make sure to wear shoes in that area and don’t get hurt!
One of your friends keeps texting you and trying to FaceTime during class and it’s distracting you
Tell them that you guys can chat after school
Mute your notifications
What has a higher priority after school - homework or video games?
Homework
You just can’t sit still long enough to pay attention in class
Get up and take a walk with your laptop
Get some kind of toy to play with where you do work
Take a stretch or breathing break
You know your participation grade is struggling because you haven’t been speaking out in class, but you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Type it in the chat!
Visit your teacher’s office hours and let them know what you were thinking after class
Face your fears! The more times you do it, the easier it’ll be
Your teacher said they were going to call your parents because you had not been turning assignments in on time
Tell your parents first, it’ll be better coming from you
Come up with a plan to complete the assignments and start working on them right away to show improvement
It’s your mom’s birthday tomorrow and you haven’t done anything for her yet, but you also have a huge assignment due tomorrow that cannot be made up.
Tell your mom about the test, she probably wants you to succeed!
Think about how to plan so this doesn't happen again when you have two big things going on at the same time
If you're doing well in your core classes, is it okay to completely slack off in your electives and fail them?
No, you should still try your best! Those classes teach you important skills you wouldn't learn in your core classes and everyone will be upset if you're failing those!
You’re in class but all you can think about is falling asleep.
Move to a different area
Don’t wear sweats
Plan your bedtime and wakeup time
You applied to your favorite high school but haven’t heard back yet, you can’t help but think the worst
Remember, not hearing back isn’t a no or a yes, it’s just neutral
Try to think of things you can control like doing your best in your classes so you continue to look like an amazing student
Breathe
You decided to eat all the tortilla chips in your house and your dad calls on his way home from work to tell you he’s making nachos for dinner
Tell him so he can run to the store on his way back home
If he gets home and sees that the tortilla chips are gone when he’s hungry he’ll be sad
You have a B in math class, so you want to slack off for the rest of the quarter, but your parents said they’ll get you a puppy/fancy shoes/whatever else you really really want if you get an A.
Decide what is more important – a little more free time now or an awesome prize later.
If you put in a little more effort, you will be rewarded!
True or false: self management is only useful when you're thinking about what should be done right here and right now.
False: planning can help a lot with self management!
Everything distracts you nomatter what because school is too boring
Think about the importance of school and your “why”
Put sticky notes up to remind you to pay attention
Move to a different area of your house for a change of scenery
You want to try out for a sport’s team/school activity you’ve never tried before but you’re afraid of rejection
Try your best and show how enthusiastic you are about learning more about it
Tell yourself that you’ll never know until you try
Your parents want you to get all As and Bs but you’re failing a class, how do you tell them
Take responsibility, recognize what went wrong
Tell them your plan for bringing up your grades
You really want to apply for a specialty high school, but you also don’t want to go to a different high school than your friends
Make pros and cons lists
Think about why both options appeal for you
In the end, make the decision that is best for you. If they’re true friends they’ll understand!
You have a test tomorrow and you're very nervous even though you've been studying for weeks. Do you stay up all night studying or get a good night's sleep?
Get a good night's sleep; tiredness impairs brain function.
What are some ideas you can think of that will help you stay focused on homework when you are working on it alone?
Pomodoro techniques
Scheduling breaks
Making small goals
What can you say to a friend who is afraid to do something he has never done before?
"I understand"
"It might be scary but it will help you later on"
Why do you think it is important to take responsibility for your actions?
It creates trust and dependability and reminds you that you have control over your actions and how you respond to different situations.
What are some things that can help you make difficult decisions?
Pro/con lists
Think about what your future self would say
Ask a parent, teacher, or other trusted adult
What are some things you can use to help prioritize all the work you have to get done?
A planner/agenda
To-do lists
Calendars