1st- Learner Skills. We talked about how to use our whole body to learn: quiet legs & feet, quiet arms & hands, ears listening, eyes on speaker, mouth quiet, raise hand and wait to be called on. We read I Just Want to Do it MY Way! and talked about the importance of staying on task, following directions, and asking for help when we need it.
2nd- Careers. We talked about how they are all on a journey from birth to a career! We brainstormed things they have learned so far in their lives and how those activities connect to the 6 career paths. Then they took a career interest inventory that I will be using to put them into groups for a fun activity in a few weeks! :)
3rd- Test Taking. We talked about strategies for dealing with stressful or anxiety-producing school activities such as taking a big test. (We also reminded ourselves that tests are just FEEDBACK! We should take them seriously and do our best, but we don't need to worry too much!) We read Tyler Tames the Testing Tiger and learned to: develop a relaxing routine, talk and think positively, don't get stuck, practice to make progress, and prepare our bodies physically (sleep and healthy food).
4th- Time Management. We talked about how to schedule our time to make sure we get everything done that we need to. We listed activities we might do each week, put them into categories (scheduled things we have to do, unscheduled things we have to do, and things we want to do), and then put them onto our calendars. We also talked about breaking tasks down into pieces and starting early to make sure we get everything done that we need to ON TIME! :)
5th- Careers. We started using MO Connections to do some research that will help us with future career plans. The first activity was a "Reality Check" that let kids choose what kinds of things they might want when they grow up and will have to pay for. The website figured for them how much money they will need to make each month and their total annual salary. This gives us a starting place for what kind of job they will need to support their anticipated standard of living. If the job they want doesn't support their cost of living, will they find a different job? Change what they expect?