Lockridge holds an EdS in Curriculum and Instruction, an MS in Elementary Education, and a BA in History. She also homeschools her children.
Confident students are responsible for their actions, and they don't make excuses. To sharpen your classroom skills you'll need to take an active role in your learning, and not rely on the teacher to spoon feed you everything you need to learn.
Kanar (2011) dedicates the bulk of chapter 5 to the importance of students being personally responsible for their learning experience. Not only does Kanar tell students to be good listeners and note-takers, she lists specific strategies to help students succeed. For example, Kanar shows students how to use the Cornell, informal outline/key word and idea cluster note-taking methods (pp. 120-123). Teachers can help students be better note takers by using visuals in the classroom, posting their own outline on the board, and distributing handouts with pertinent information. Again, being an organized teacher often helps even the most organized student.
Kanar (2011) encourages students to manage their time wisely. She uses the acronym GRAB to describe strategies that students can use to be responsible time-managers. According to Kanar, effective students will set realistic goals, determine responsibilities, analyze their time and activities and take a balanced approach to life. Kanar also discusses the importance of scheduling time in weekly and daily blocks to better keep track of what needs to be done when (pp. 137-141). Chapter 6 also deals with the subject of procrastination and how to avoid procrastination. When possible, this teacher will avoid assigning a lot of reading assignments near the time of final projects, realizing that such assignments may cause students to not balance their time correctly.
Articles in this 'The Confident Student' series:
Kanar (2011) begins chapter 13 with the sentiment “confident students are emotionally intelligent. They control their impulses rather than allowing their impulses to control them” (p. 323). She further explains that the successful student realizes the connection between healthy choices emotional stability and a successful academic career. Kanar’s sensible tips include eating healthy, staying fit, avoiding harmful substances, managing stressful situations. This teacher plans to be on the lookout for stressed students and encourage them to keep their emotions and body under control for the best of their grades and mental well-being. Taking the time to show care and concern for students may help prevent future conflict.
Kanar's 'The Confident Student'
Kanar, C. C. (2011). The confident student. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.