Mary Moss @ J.

Albert Adams Academy

Top Ten Tips for Success!

1. Be your number 1 advocate. Ask your teacher for help. Ask for breaks. Ask to speak with your
counselor/social worker/school psychologist. Ask for directions to be repeated. Ask for the things that help you
be the best you! Be sure to ask when appropriate.

2. Come to school. Your daily presence is more than half the battle. When you’re in school, you give yourself
the opportunity to be successful in school. When you’re regularly absent, it makes school much tougher. Come
to school.

3. Find your go-to person. Identify the staff member(s) in your school you feel most comfortable checking
in with. The person that helps you refocus, calm down, and ready to return your class. Learn how to schedule
appointments with this person, so you know how to appropriately ask for her or him.

4. Set weekly goals. At minimum, behavior, attendance, and grade goals. Write them down somewhere that
is easily accessible and visible. Cover of your notebook, cellphone wallpaper, anywhere that gets your attention
several times throughout the day.

5. Be organized. Always remember your binder and other necessary materials. Take the time to organize your
notes and assignments. This will help you in all your classes.

6. Practice Time-Management. Try to manage your time and tasks by writing down your whole schedule
for one day. Estimate how long it will take to complete each task and write it down. Share your list with at least
one person for his/her opinion.

7. Take it one task at a time. If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, take a step back, take a deep
breath, and think about what your first step should be to complete the task. This would be a great time to check
in with your go-to person.

8. Be respectful. Taking the time to respectfully speak to anyone will take you a long way in life. Use your
words wisely, be considerate, and think before you act.

9. Be resilient. Believe you can learn. Receive assistance as not a criticism of your abilities, but a way to
become better. Remember that motivation and effort are just as important as knowing how to do something.
Persevere through the tough times and keep going.

10. Be restorative. Conflict happens. Remember the importance of having a conversation, getting to the root
of the problem, and discussing best ways to move forward. This can happen with your teachers or peers. Be
sure to find your go-to person to help you with this process.