Woodstown Middle SchoolMoving through Middle SchoolOrganization and Study Skills

IntroductionEach new stage of life presents

new challenges. How we solve these challenges

determines how we move forward into the next stage of life.

Throughout this year we will be doing a few lessons that reflect on how your responsibilities are changing, and how we can meet these changes in the most honest and healthy way possible.

To look at how our school responsibilities are getting more, challenging.

We will help you to develop a strategy to manage your assignments and time effectively.

Homework vs. MenusHomework Menus

Daily Over a period of time

Simpler, Shorter More time intensive

Less Choice More Creativity, More Choice, Less certainty

Teacher Made Assignments

Student Driven, Independent Learners

What are ways to take on this challenge?Overwhelmed – Where do I start?Pretender – Pretend it does not have to

get started right away. (Procrastination)Avoider – Forgetting it exists.Come Back Kid – Waits until the night

before its due.The Waiter – Only will complete when

being directed by an adult.The Worrier – Thinks about it all the

time, but does not lead to productivity.

Goal of Today’s LessonTo be able to …

◦keep track of all of our responsibilities, do them well and in a timely manner.

◦Experience the feeling that when we take care of our responsibilities, we feel less stress and enjoy our free time more.

◦Feel competent, successful, and satisfied with ourselves and our work.

◦Improve grades by completing assignments on time.

ReflectionBefore we explain to you the

specific technique for today’s lesson let’s reflect on the theme that we will revisit in each lesson…◦Accept that school and life can be

difficult.

Reflection◦The best way to solve life’s problems is

the development of good self-discipline Delaying gratification - sacrificing

present comfort for future gains Accept responsibility for your actions

and decisions Dedication to truth, honesty in both

worth and deed Balancing – handle conflicting

requirements, prioritize between different responsibilities

How to manage your timeToday we will teach you a few

simple steps you can use to set goals, plan and use your time well. We know that just telling you will not be enough, so your teachers will also model and give you time in class to practice this technique.

We will use the NETS acronym to help you remember your steps.  

NETSOur NETS catch all of our tasks

and keep them together.

Step 1: N – Name and NumberThis is the most important step because it

involves setting goals and choosing priorities.When you name a goal and assign it a number,

you make it real and make sure it is remembered.

In the real world this is when you write it on a To-Do list.

In school, it will involve choosing items from your menus, circling them, and deciding which order to do them.

On your menu, circle the items that you choose to accomplish and number them in the order you plan on accomplishing them.

Step 2: ET – Estimate TimeEstimating how much time and energy is

required for each task is essential to figuring out how it can be accomplished.

Be realistic about your estimate- sometimes tasks take us longer than we think, and sometimes we need to break up longer jobs into smaller pieces.

Remember to include time to gather up the necessary materials and to put everything away at the end.

On your menu or list, jot a time next to each task, and if you are going to need materials such as poster board or a computer.

Step 3: S - ScheduleYou now must figure out how and

when to get everything done on time. For this step you will need to make a plan that combines all of your different menus, other school responsibilities (tests or extracurricular) and out of school obligations.

Would this be considered a NET you could use to catch all of your assignments in?

How about we use this?

A month-at-a-glance calendar often works well for this type of planning, so you can use the monthly calendars in your agenda. If you prefer, you could also use your week at a glance in your agenda.

Transfer all of your menu tasks onto your calendar, and add tests or other things to remember if they are announced. Five (5) menu points will be added by taking this step.

To save space, abbreviate. For example, four Language Arts menu items could be ELA1, ELA2, ELA3 and ELA4.

Consider the time needed for everything planned on that day; this will avoid planning too much for one day. If you spread out the tasks and use your time well in and out of school, you should not have to plan more than an hour of homework per night.

Refer to your calendar daily and check off items as you accomplish them. If you do not get an item done by the date you planned, it should be highlighted and become top priority.

Agenda Calendar

ELA 3Science 4

½ Day No School

No School No School No School

ELA Menu DUE

ELA 2Science 1

Science 2SS 1

SS Menu Due

Science MenuDUE

ELA 1

SS 2

Other Tips …Time yourself when you are completing

assignments to see if your estimates are correct.

Bring home what you need and only what you need.

Use a Homework Folder with only what you need to work on for that night.

Always bring home your AGENDA!Focus on one priority at a time and limit your

distractions. Find a quiet time to work.Remember to check off things on your

calendar when you are finished with them.