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How To ACE This Class

How To ACE This Class. a nd acquire skills that will get you a good job after college. Paul G. Young, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor - Ohio University-Lancaster Past President of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National AfterSchool Association.

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How To ACE This Class

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  1. How To ACE This Class and acquire skills that will get you a good job after college Paul G. Young, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor - Ohio University-Lancaster Past President of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National AfterSchool Association

  2. Your education is priceless and you must decide to make the most of every learning opportunity You must commit to LEARN To learn, you must WORK

  3. In most college classes your attitudedetermines your success more than your aptitude

  4. How you prepare and attend during each class is your choice Professors are watching

  5. Typical Distribution of Students Within a College Class Quiet sitters and getters who do what is expected Absent whiners and complainers Growth mindset One sixth Mediocres C Two thirds Backbones B- B B+ A- One sixth Superstars A In which group do you want your professors to see you?

  6. Earning an A in this class will requires more than good grades on testsYou must display the virtues of a good work ethic

  7. Work ethic can bedefined aswhat you are willing to do when no one is watching

  8. You Need to Demonstrate Ten Work Ethic Virtues in Every Class • Attitude • Common Sense • Competence • Gratitude • Initiative • Integrity • Perseverance • Professionalism • Reliability • Respect Adapted from Eric Chester (2012) , Reviving Work Ethic: A Leader's Guide to Ending Entitlement and Restoring Pride in the Emerging Workforce. Austin, TX: Greenleaf Book Group Press

  9. Attitude • The foundational virtue • Displayed through a smile, body language, manners, courtesy, habits, optimism, and enthusiasm • Future employers look for desirable attitude traits (people skills) during interviews • Focus on the positive, remove negativity • Negative attitudes create an infectious work culture

  10. Ways to display a good ATTITUDEin class • Posture • Eye contact • Body language • Preparation/Organization • Positive facial expressions (smile) • Occasional nodding of head; display of interest • Constant attention (no multitasking) • Consideration of others • Note-taking • Pleasant speaking voice (tone of voice) and proper grammar

  11. Make A Good First Impression • People typically shape their opinions in 20-30 seconds • Characteristics that shape opinions include: • Personality (smile) • Level of sophistication (confidence) • Trustworthiness (punctuality; reliability) • Dress (professionalism) • Posture (body language) • Sense of humor (small talk) • Show pride in who you are both personally and professionally • It’s hard to shake a bad first impression Make a good first impression in EVERY class

  12. What Is Your Personal Brand?

  13. Who makes the best impression?

  14. Your attitude is reflected by your MINDSET

  15. Come to Class with a Growth Mindset From the work of Carol S. Dweck Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, 2006

  16. Students with a growth mindset believe that their basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard workBrains and talent are just the starting point

  17. Common Sense • Life is a series of ordinary events that follow the laws of logic and probability • Ordinary events require careful, accurate navigation with common sense • Avoid getting lost in your fantasies • Pay attention to the obvious KNOWLEDGE + COMMON SENSE = WISDOMKNOWLEDGE - COMMON SENSE = NONSENSE

  18. Do you think you have common sense?What do others think?This week, ask someone that you trust for feedback.

  19. Competence • Ability to READ • Ability to WRITE • Ability to SPEAK in public settings • Mastery of a major discipline (content) • Pursuit of personal continuous improvement Employers will assess your initial competence by reviewing your college transcript

  20. Gratitude • Gratitude and appreciation are similar • Treat others fairly and in a friendly manner • Accept and value others • Let people know they matter • Become part of the solution to problems rather than part of the problem • Live by the principle of The Golden Rule

  21. Showing Gratitude… • Promotes understanding and draws others to you • Creates unity and harmony with those you acknowledge • Builds trust and sensibility • Generates happiness and a sense of safety When expressing gratitude, be genuine No one respects a suck-up

  22. Initiative • Add value to the class • Display passion • Do more than is expected • The syllabus outlines minimal standards • Be better than mediocrity and status quo; change is inevitable • Those with initiative take risks and are not afraid to make mistakes You can’t wait until job interview time to begin showing initiative

  23. Simple Initiative Strategies • Raise your hand and ask at least one question in every class(Let the professor know you are present) • Strive to take such an active role in your classes that if you have to be absent, everyone misses you - especially the professor • 5 pages required in a paper? Write six • Help out in anyway you can with others

  24. Integrity • Bring both personal honesty and cultural integrity to every class • Tell the truth and don’t point fingers • Avoid white lies • Celebrate honesty and integrity • Avoid students who are dishonest and irresponsible • Set the tonefor your fellow classmates

  25. Perseverance (Grit) • Finish what you start • Finish work that might seemhard and/or boring • Deliberate practice makes perfect with the “Rule of 10,000 Hours” • Eliminate distractions • Multitasking is a myth • When you get knocked down (and you will!), get back up

  26. Professionalism • Professionalism at work is a business virtue • Use proper grammar, pronunciation, writing skills, and manners • Clarity is crucial • Become aware of what to say and when and where to say it Dress first class, think first class, act first class

  27. Social Signaling • You send a message everyday by how you choose to dress, groom, attend in class, interact with classmates, and display personal body language • First impressions are powerful • What message and lasting impression do you intend others to have of you?

  28. Ohio State Linebacker Gets Serious in Effort to Impress Joshua Perry cares about how he looks. Although his Ohio State teammates might straggle to 5 a.m. workouts wearing sweatpants, the sophomore linebacker from Olentangy High School doesn’t want to look scruffy. “I don’t think it takes that much to throw a shirt with a collar on, some khakis and some dress shoes,” he said. Perry believes that if he looks good, he will feel good, even at dawn. The Columbus Dispatch, November 14, 2013

  29. “Like, eliminate ‘Ums’ and ‘Ahs’, Right?” "Like," "Um," "Ah," and “You Know” are Professional Credibility Killers

  30. Reliability • Reliability must be part of your personal brand • Reliability is consistency of measure • Reliability is trustworthiness • Reliability is either present or absent - there is no in between • There is no place for the prevalent “Yeah, but” societal mentalityin this class or a professional workplace

  31. What should reliability mean to you? • Be in the classroom and in your seat at least 5 minutes before class begins • Never miss! • Get assignments turned in on time • Take good notes • Study • Utilize Blackboard • Accept responsibility • No excuses

  32. What do these pictures say about reliability?

  33. Respect • Respect = obedience, acceptance, conformity • Obey and play by the rules • Respect the professor • Respect fellow students • Respect the line between class work and social time • Strive for authenticity, accomplishment, competence, and tolerance of differences • Self-discipline is a principle of greatness

  34. Text your friends after class Don’t force me to take your phone

  35. Employers seek workers who are AUTHENTIC ADULTS--------------------------------------- not adults with artificial maturity

  36. Do what you say you will do when you say you will do it

  37. The only thing standing between you and an A in this class is the BS story you will tell yourself as to why you can’t achieve it

  38. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit- Aristotle

  39. Summary The most promising students and most effective employees are those who develop a growth mindset Employers hire candidates with the best work ethic over talent and skills A key work ethic virtue: “Do what you say you will do when you say you will do it” Initiative isn’t something that you can wait to develop once you get a job When you get knocked down, show your GRIT. Pull yourself and your attitude back up Generational barriers will exist in the workforce for decades. Adapt and show flexibility and cooperation Develop a vision of what you want your future to become

  40. Professional Reading Chua, Amy & Rubenfeld, Jed (2014). The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America. New York: Penguin Press. Colvin, Geoff (2008). Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else. New York: Penguin Group. Davis, Vicki (2014). True Grit: The Best Measure of Success and How to Teach It. Edutopia, January 9, 2014. Duckworth, Angela. Google 8- Item Grit Scale. Dweck, Carol (2007). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Random House. Elmore, Tim(2012). Artificial Maturity: Helping Kids Meet The Challenge of Becoming Authentic Adults. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Elmore, Tim (2010). Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future. Atlanta: Poet Gardener Publishing. Elmore, Tim (2014). 12 Huge Mistakes Parents Can Avoid: Leading Your Kids to Succeed in Life. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Press. Gladwell, Malcolm (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown & Company. Gladwell, Malcolm (2013). David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. New York: Little, Brown & Company. Gorksi, Paul (2013). Reaching and Teaching Students in Poverty: Strategies for Erasing the Opportunity Gap. New York: Teachers College Press.

  41. Professional Reading Hoerr, Thomas R. (2013). Fostering Grit: How Do I Prepare My Students For The Real World? Virginia: ASCD. Jensen, Eric (2013). Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Kohn, Alfie (2014). The Myth of the Spoiled Child: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Children and Parenting. Boston: Da Capo Press. Pappano, Laura (2013). “Grit” and The New Character Education. Harvard Education Newsletter Vol. 29, Number 1—Jan./Feb. Payne, Ruby (1996, 2005) A Framework for Understanding Poverty. 4th Edition. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc. Ricci, Mary Cay (2013). Mindsets in The Classroom: Building a Culture of Success and Student Achievement in Schools. Waco, TX: Purfrock Press, Inc. Roberts, Yvonne (2009). Grit. The Skills for Success and How They Are Grown. London: Young Foundation Tough, Paul (2012). How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Tulgan, Bruce(2009). Not Everyone Gets a Trophy: How to Manage Generation Y. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Wormeli, Rick. Perseverance and Grit. AMLE Magazine, Jan. 2014, Vol. 1, #5

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