The Right Choice / TEACHER NAME
Judy Franks / PROGRAM NAME
OLRC
[Unit Title]
Program Orientation / NRS EFL
3 – 5 / TIME FRAME
180 – 240 minutes
Instruction / OBR ABE/ASE Standards – English Language Arts and Literacy
Reading (R) / Writing (W) / Speaking & Listening (S) / Language (L)
Foundational Skills / Text Types and Purposes / W.3.1, W.4.1, W.5.1 / Comprehension and Collaboration / S.3.1, S.4.1, S.5.1
S.2.3, S.3.4,S.4.3 / Conventions of Standard English
Key Ideas and Details / Production and Distribution of Writing / Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas / Knowledge of Language
Craft and Structure / Research to Build and Present Knowledge / W.3.8, W.4.8 / Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas / R.3.16, R.4.12, R.5.11
LEARNER OUTCOME(S)
- Learners will discuss the steps of the decision-making process and practice using them to solve real life problems.
- Completed Decision-making worksheets from each discussion group or an actual decision a learner has made outside of class.
- Teacher observation
LEARNER PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
- Ask this question to the group What one thing could you do that if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous positive difference in your personal life? Yourwork life?
INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Visualize the future by asking students to:
- Close eyes and get comfortable, breathe steady, picture a relaxing scene
- Envision your life as you want it to be in ten years. How do you look? How are you feeling? What year is it? How old are you? How healthy are you? How peaceful? How relaxed? What have you accomplished? Focus on every detail? Are you energetic or worn out? Did you reach your goals? Are you able to look back with satisfying memories? How are you feeling in this place?
- Share your vision with a partner about your future
- We are creating our future every moment, yet most of us don’t realize this. We have power to change. Nothing is inevitable, everything is possible.
- Develop a talk or Power Point presentation about the principles of personal management based on the notes from the Components of Success.
- You may not always make the right decision - no one does all the time. Your values influence the decisions you make. Values are the things that are important to you, such as honesty and generosity. They may be influenced by your family, friends, past experiences and the world around us. List 5 values you hold. Knowing values is important because you live by them (personal goals) and work for them (job goals). Values:
- are a true reflection of what you believe
- must be acted upon (do what you believe)
- will motivate us to work toward these
- remain stable throughout our life
- are closely related to needs
- come from parents, schools, faith, friends
- are learned or chosen
- Complete a values survey from the list of resources.
- Why are values an important part of the personal management process?
- become aware of self
- develop ability to make decisions
- learn what it is you want
- choose goals for your life
- Based on previous steps of building self-awareness, students are now ready to be introduced to the steps of decision-making. Talk about the steps students use to make a decision. What do you do first? What follows? Use the handout 8 Steps to Better Decisions to discuss the decision-making process, post in the classroom.
- Pass out the Decision-Making worksheet and then as a class, work on making a decision based on the following situation or learners can also use a decision one of the learners is currently faced with.
After you have completed the worksheet as a class, discuss the advantages and disadvantages and come to consensus regarding Maria’s decision.
- Break the class into small groups and pass out the Decision-Making Cards, one to each group along with a Decision-Making Worksheet. Have each group make a decision regarding their assigned card using the worksheet. Regroup as a class and discuss each situation and each decision. Instructors may want to reproduce each group’s worksheet to put on the overhead.
Components of Success (attached)
Value surveys:
Values Survey. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Values and Behavior Survey -- Personal Integrity Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
VALS™ | US VALS™ Survey | SBI. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Personal Values Assessment (PVA). (n.d.). Retrieved from
Self-Assessment Questionnaire: Work Values [PDF file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Student copies of 8 Steps to Better Decisions handout (attached)
Student copies of Decision-Making worksheet (attached)
Student copies of Decision-Making Cards (attached)
Extension activities:
Problem Solving. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Rathsack, R. (2015, December 15). Decision Making Methods. Retrieved from
Rathsack, R. (2015, December 16). Problem Solving and Decision Making. Retrieved from
DIFFERENTIATION
- Multiple opportunities are provided to practice decision-making using the guidelines provided.
- Students work in groups and discuss the issues around decision-making.
- The teacher models how to complete one of the scenarios, allowing for much discussion and questions about the process.
Reflection / TEACHER REFLECTION/LESSON EVALUATION
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The next lesson might be Setting Goals for Success. Extension activities will give students additional practice with decision making methods.
1
Ohio ABLE Lesson Plan – The Right Choice
Components of Success
Attitudes, beliefs and behaviors – what we know and what we do. This talk is about the very Heart of Life…Our Direction
- Choice of Good vs. Best – Enemy of Best is Good
Like a clock (external) or the compass (internal)
Which would you rather have?
- Clock represents commitments, goals, schedules, activities
- Compass represents vision, values, principles, conscience
View Mr. Holland’s Opus video segment on “life is what happens while we’re busy making other plans”
-- Struggle (conflict or stress) between the important things and how we spend
our time!
- Tyranny of the Urgent
Urgent calls for instant or immediate action, devours our energy
Acts on us (i.e., ringing of phone)
Often pleasant, easy, fun to do, but so often unimportant
Momentary adrenaline rush of crisis
Being busy has become a status symbol, security, popular
Excuse for not attending to important
Important is rarely done today or this week
Focus on relationships and results rather than time and methods
If something is important, it contributes to your mission, values, and goals
Key to putting First Things First
Explanation of Activity Matrix
As we move from Urgency to Importance we have to decide: What are the first things? And how do we put them first?
Illustration -- Tell story of man cutting down the tree in Sharpen the Saw chapter. Need to take the time!
- What are First Things?
- Fulfillment of 4 Needs
To Live (physical) To Love (social) To Learn (mental) To Leave a Legacy (spiritual) and the integration of these areas
- Reality of True North Principles
Absolute truths – integrity, responsibility, self-discipline, moderation, fidelity
Give meaning to where we are
Always there
- Capacity of Human Endowment – how we are different from the animal world
human endowment / behavior / ways to improve
Self-awareness / apart from self / journal
Independent will / act by principles
not victims/product of past
make choices / keep promises
Creative imagination / see our self as better / visualize to improve life
Conscience / deep moral sense
VALUES / educate self
Activity Matrix
UrgentNot Urgent
Important / I Quadrant of Quantity- Crises
- Pressing Problems
- Deadlines
- Reactive
- Stress
- Burnout
- Crisis management
- Putting out fires
- Preparation and Planning
- Prevention
- Recreation
- Relationship Building
- Proactive
- Vision, perspective
- Balance
- Discipline
- Control
- Few crisis
Not Important / III Quadrant of Deception
- Interruptions
- Some Phone Calls, Mail, Meetings
- Meeting Others’ Expectations
- Popular Activities
- Proximate, Pressing Matters
- Short-term focus
- Crisis management
- See goals as worthless
- Feel victimized – out of control
- Shallow or broken relationships
- Time Wasters
- Busywork
- Excessive TV
- Escape Activities
- Total irresponsibility
- Fired from jobs
- Dependent on others
Matrix Notes (additional information found on pages 146-182):
Fill in quadrant with personal examples
-Q.1 consumes many people – as focus gets bigger and bigger, we escape to Q.4
-Q.2 is effective personal management - know we need to do these things, but can’t find the time
-Effective people stay out of Q.3&
The matrix is a fluid model – sizes of quadrant shift to encompass time. Question becomes What percentage of time do you spend in each quadrant?
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Ohio ABLE Lesson Plan – The Right Choice
7 Habits what Covey calls “process of putting first things first”
- Connect with your vision
What do you care about? What gives meaning? What is your passion? What things do you want to have, be, do, share?
- Identify your roles
What things are deeply important to you? In your personal life? In your work life?
- Select goals in each role
What is the most important thing to do this week to have positive impact?
What is a goal? “anything you ardently desire, committed to by you, in writing with specific terms, for a definite end result.”
Ardent Desire: Want it with all your heart: If not, probably a bad goal to set.
Total Commitment: Pledge that you will do this or die trying. No one will talk you out of it. Not letting your age, health, financial status, gender, education or ANYTHING stop you from completing your goal.
In Writing: If it’s not in writing, it not a goal – it’s only a dream. We all have dreams… Someday, I’ll go there, do that - Someday is not on the calendar. Put it in writing TODAY.
Specific Terms: “I want to be rich: is not a specific goal. The main reason to make it specific is to create a vivid picture in your mind so your subconscious can lead you toward the goal. The clearer the picture, the better the results. Be concise and positive.
Definite End Results: A way of measuring the success or outcome. If we can’t track it, we’re less likely to work toward completion. Best to break a large goal down into easily achievable steps.
Tips to Remember to Accomplish Your Goals
- What are you willing to DO to accomplish your goals? Include a step by step plan you can do that moves you closer your goal.
- Set up a reward and punishment system.
- Break long-term goals into smaller shorter parts. Excited at beginning and end, but lack motivation in the middle. Frequent activity means more success.
- Find a balance. Make sure you devote sufficient time to personal as well as job goals. They all support each other. Integrate/
- Evaluation: Try to do too much? Learn from mistakes. Will we achieve 100% of every goal? Probably not. Keep your efforts focused on the right direction.
There will be roadblocks and setbacks, but whenever you are frustrated remember this formula for success.
Spend so much time focusing on what you DO want, that you won’t have time to worry about what you DON’T want.
Covey, S. R. (2004). 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
8 Steps to Better Decisions
These steps can be used for any type of decision.
∞Identify the Problem
Exactly describe the decision to be made.
∞Gather Information
This is the basis for the rest of the decision making process.
∞Generate Options
Brainstorm a list all possible choices, don’t discard too quickly.
∞Consider Possible Outcomes
Think about the consequences for each choice. Check out how you feel about each of the choices and relate the choices to your values.
∞Evaluate Options
From the possible alternatives, choose one.
∞Make a Commitment
Pursue one option actively.
∞Develop a Plan
Take steps to turn your decision into positive action.
∞Re-evaluate
Monitor your progress from time to time.
Ask yourself these questions…
What am I trying to decide?
What information is important for making this decision?
What are my choices?
What are the results of each choice?
How do I feel about each choice?
How well does each of my choices match my values?
Which choice is the best match?
What steps will I take to meet this commitment?
Do I need to make any changes and try again?
8 Steps to Better Decisions Handout
Decision-Making
Are you having trouble making a specific decision?
Perhaps you need to figure out all the advantages and disadvantages.
In the following worksheet, Option A represents doing nothing
and Option B represents doing something.
Fill in the blanks on the right-hand side of the worksheet to help make informed decisions.
Option AAdvantages
Disadvantages
My biggest fear
What I like best
Do I need more information
Option B
Advantages
Disadvantages
My biggest fear
What I like best
Do I need more information
Decision-Making
Maria’s Scenario Example
Option A / Stay in my apartmentAdvantages / -The location is downtown
-I hardly have to use my car
-I have a good landlord and repairs get done
-I like being close to stores
Disadvantages / -The apartment is small and it will be hard to set up a
home office
-I don’t like living with clutter
-If my new business goes the way I hope, it will be a
squeeze when the kids come to visit
My biggest fear / -Living in a cluttered place
What I like best / -My location
Do I need more information / -I haven’t really looked at office furniture to see if there
are ways to set up a small home office
Option B / Move to a larger apartment further away from downtown
Advantages / -I need more space to set up a good home office for my
new business
-I can afford to have more space because rents are lower
outside of downtown
-I will have more room when the kids visit
Disadvantages / -I’ll have to get used to a new neighborhood
-I will have more driving and increased car costs
-I will have a new landlord and have to build a new
relationship
My biggest fear / -I’ll be unhappy in a new location away from the places
and people I know
What I like best / -Additional space for family and business
Do I need more information / -Determine prices differences for a month before deciding
Decision-Making Cards
John is a factory worker at a local metal fabricating plant. He has heard rumors that the company might be letting some employees go in a year to offset losses related to the economy. He has been thinking about going back to school to get his GED, but that means he’ll have to go to school 2 nights a week for 3 hours. He also works a second job three nights a week to help with family expenses. If he goes to class and keeps his second job he will only see his family on the weekends. John also needs to learn how to fill out a job application and write a resume. What should he do? / James has plans to go to a concert tonight to hear his favorite group. On his way out the door his boss from his second job calls. She says they are really busy and she needs James to work tonight until they close at 9:00. She implies that he may lose his job if he doesn’t agree. James is saving money from his job to visit his girlfriend who recently moved to New York. What should James do?Valerie just received her GED. She and a few of her friends have saved all year to celebrate their GED graduation. They have planned a trip to Florida to visit a friend who moved there last year. They have scheduled many fun things to do the long weekend they will be there. The only problem is that Valerie applied for a job at a great local business. They have told her she will be hired if she can start the day they planned to leave on their trip. Valerie knows the job would be a great opportunity for her. / Julia is a single woman with grown children. She needs to decide if she should stay in her current small apartment or move to a larger one across town. The new apartment would be closer to her job, but will cost more per month than she pays now. Julie enjoys have her children and grandchildren come for visits but because she is also expanding her home business she is worried that she will not have enough room for visitors. Julia loves her current neighborhood but also would like to have a shorter distance to drive to work. Should she move or not?
Jose and his wife Celina own two family cars. One is paid off and they make monthly payments on the other. They both have to drive to work to different neighboring towns. Jose enjoys working on cars and is good at fixing most car problems. Jose spotted a really nice Camaro at the local dealer on his way to work this week. He is thinking about buying the car but will have to take out a bank loan. The car he drives now is pretty reliable but doesn’t look as good as the Camaro or run as fast. But Jose wouldn’t have to spend time fixing repairs like he does now on his old car. Jose and Celina are also saving up for a down payment on a house. What should Jose do? / Chris has been employed as a welder at a local company for ten years. He started working there when he was 16 right after he dropped out of high school. In the past ten years Chris has only received 3 raises. He enjoys his job but wishes he could earn more money. He is afraid to look for a job because he doesn’t have his high school diploma, can’t fill out a job application very well, and doesn’t know how to write a resume. Most of his friends who stayed in school are now making at least twice the salary that Chris is making. He is frustrated with his job situation. What should Chris do?