LESSON PLAN – So Far So Good

Theme – Myself In Relation To Others

CAREER SKILLS – Self Development

KEY SKILLS – Communication, Problem Solving, Improving Own Learning and Performance.

WORK RELATED LEARNING – Learning For Work.

COMPETENCIES – *ai, *aii, *aiii, *bi, *ci, *cii, *di, **eii, **eiii, **eiv, **evi, ***fiv, ***Ii, ***kiv, ****mi

SUGGESTED SUBJECT AREA – Personal Development, English, Social Studies

Learning Outcomes

By completing this task students will be able to:

  • Identify positive and negative aspects of life at Junior High/Secondary School.
  • Assess progress and feelings to date.
  • Re-define and develop their own coping strategies.
Preparation and Materials
  • Copies of Activity Sheet “So Far So Good” ,for each student.
  • Blackboard/flipchart.
  • Students should be grouped in secure pairs to ensure a beneficial outcome. Care should be taken when asking for voluntary responses to the rest of the class.
Method
  1. Move students into secure pairs.
  2. Explain the aims of the lesson using the learning outcomes on the Activity Sheet.
  3. Brainstorm class experiences/achievements/new friends/new opportunities they have had since joining their new school. List on blackboard/flipchart.
  4. Tease out any problems they needed to overcome – e.g. difficulty with homework, finding classrooms etc.
  5. You could share your own feelings about starting a new job or remembering when you started school.
  6. Discuss with the class how well they have coped with their new school and suggest ways to overcome any difficulties.
  7. Give out Activity Sheet and ask the students to complete Section A by circling the words which most reflect their feeling about their new school. They should add any other words they feel appropriate.
  8. Encourage the students to discuss their answers with a friend and then ask for voluntary feedback to the whole class. They can then continue to Section B.
  9. Ask the students what they have learned from the lesson.
  10. Summarise the main learning outcomes.

Learning Outcomes: By completing this task students will be able to:

  • Identify good and bad aspects of life at secondary school.
  • Assess your progress and feelings to date.
  • Work out how you have coped so far.
  • Find ways to help you cope now and in the future.

ACTIVITY SHEET – So far So Good

I find My New School (circle the words you find appropriate)

Fun HelpfulCoolWorryingFriendly

InterestingStimulatingDifficultBoring

StressfulChallengingExcitingDepressing