The Art of Being A (High School) Student

The Art of Being a (High School) Student
The Basics
The Commendable
The Extra Mile

But first:
What’s the point of a high school education?

To help you think in disciplined ways about aspects of the human experience
•The natural world (physics, biology, etc.)
•The past (history)
•Language and storytelling (foreign language, literature, english)
•Machines and Technology (engineering, computer science, etc.)
•Numbers (mathematics)
•The mind (psychology, philosophy, etc.)
•Politics (political science, government, etc.)
To provide you with skills that will allow you to have opportunities—and
What’s the point of a high school education? know how to take advantage of them—after high school
•e.g. engaging politically and socially, higher education, jobs
Some possible answers
To help you develop an understanding of yourself and others
•including the ability to intellectually and emotionally regulate yourself
•An empathic understanding of others and how you can impact others
•The capacity of critical and ethical judgment
To help you discover and pursue your passions

So how do we get there?
•The Basics
•The Commendable
•The Extra Mile

The Basics
Come Prepared
Q: A:
What happens to a Benched, for not
basketball player who doing the basics.
shows up to a game
with no shoes and no
jersey?
Questions that don’t make
sense in high school
Classroom basics “Are we going to take notes

Be on time today?”
Have a notebook out “Should I have my notebook
out?”
Be ready to take notes every day
“What do I need for class
Have a pen today?”
Have your Chromebook (charged)
Have class materials organized and accessible
The Basics
Come Prepared
Do the Work
Teachers make efforts here to eliminate “busy work”
Assignments are intentional and meant to guide you to success in the course and to personal growth
Don’t forget basic self-interest!

The brief relief you gain from not doing the work is vastly outweighed by the
misery you create for yourself later on
The Basics
Come Prepared
Do the Work
Do the work…ON TIME
Falling behind will chip away at your self-confidence

The quality of your classroom experience will be diminished
Comprehension of the course will suffer
Repeated late assignments send a strong and negative message to teachers
Missing due dates is likely to lead to struggle and increased stress later on
Catching up is much harder than keeping up

The Basics
Come Prepared
Do the Work
Perform Being a Student

Above paygrade
Remember that teachers cannot read your mind, cannot see into
your choices in your private time
You need to demonstrate (perform) that you’re doing your

part as a student
•Come prepared
•Show that you are listening deeply to peers and teachers
-ask clarifying questions, engage in civil debate, make connections
•Body language: eye contact, sitting up straight
•Be attentive and respectful; show emotional maturity
Most importantly…
The Basics
Come Prepared
Do the Work
Not speaking is no longer acceptable

If you are overcome with anxiety about speaking in the classroom, devise
other strategies for speaking
•Come to class with a prepared question about the previous class or the
homework
•Answer the low-hanging fruit / “starter” questions
•Schedule one-on-one meetings with teachers to talk privately
The Basics Be Prepared
Do the Work
The Commendable
Do the Work on Time
The Extra Mile
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
The Extra Mile Do It Yourself
Student A: Student B:
Mr. McIntosh, I didn’t Mr. McIntosh, I didn’t

understand the reading, there understand the reading, there
were too many difficult words. were too many difficult words.
So I then looked a lot of them
up in a dictionary, and was able
to make sense of the reading.
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Show Attention to Detail
In How You Speak In How You Write In Following Instructions
Student A: Student B: Student A: Student B: Test says: choose two out

of three questions.
All Mexicans Some Californios The people, dances. The people dance.
had ranchos in had ranchos in Student asks: “How many
early LA. early LA. No citations. Citations. do we have to answer?”
No name, date, title. Name, Date, Title.

The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Show Organization and Effort
“I lost the handout. Can you go print me another?” Has handout
“Can I borrow a pen from someone?” Has pen
“Can I get an extension?” (sent at 10pm night Doesn’t ask for unnecessary extensions
before due)
Submits rough draft of essay 4 – 5 days ahead of
“Rough draft? What is that?” final due date
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Average length of response on assignments that are Average length of response on assignments that are
suggested 3 – 5 paragraphs: suggested 3 – 5 paragraphs:
2.1 paragraphs 4.5 paragraphs

The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Me in writing center
Show Up for Readily Available Extra Help
Comes to writing center Never comes to writing center
Sets up appointments to meet via email Sets up no appointments
Accuses teacher of being “inaccessible”

The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Shows Up for Readily Available Extra Help
Be Honest and Communicative about Struggling
Has a week of feeling overwhelmed Has a week of feeling overwhelmed

Falls behind with homework Falls behind with homework
Emails teacher explaining this situation Hides from teacher
Sets up appointment to meet Skips class / sits in back quietly / avoids eye contact
Creates plan with teacher to get back on track Crosses fingers that missed assignments won’t be noticed
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Kitty kritik
Show “Critical Thinking”
•Develop and demonstrate the ability to critique assumptions (both your
own and others’)
•Critique your own work and answers
-Is this the best possible answer? Do I agree with my initial take? Can I
improve the wording?
-Revisit, Reassess, Revise
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
The Extra Mile

The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
The Extra Mile
Propose Your Passion
“This assignment is dumb.” “I don’t feel so driven by this particular

prompt. Would you be open to me exploring
this question instead?”
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
Vs.
The Extra Mile
In Your Free Time, Read, Read, Read, Learn, Learn Learn

(i.e., expose yourself to intellectually rigorous materials—books, podcasts, intellectually demanding
film, museum exhibitions, etc…just feed your brain nourishing things!)
Especially effective: read materials related to your classes and share with teachers!
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
“I’m terrible”
Do the Work on Time
Perform Being a Student “I’m just not an
The Commendable organized person”
Do It Yourself
“I’m only a visual learner”
Show Organization and Effort “I’m not a talker”
“I’m not a good writer”
Show “Critical Thinking” “I’m not good at humanities”
(“I secretly think it
The Extra Mile looks cooler to not try
Propose Your Passion and to put myself down
Read, Read, Read than to try and be
Take Control of Your Narrative proud of myself ”)
(“It’s way more comfortable
to not try and to tell myself
I’m terrible, than to try and
make myself vulnerable”)
“I’m deserving and loved”
“I belong here”
The Basics
Be Prepared
“Math comes more
Do the Work easily to me, but I
Do the Work on Time want to pursue the
Perform Being a Student challenge of other
The Commendable subjects.”
Do It Yourself “I tend to grasp things
Show Attention to Detail visually quickly, but I know
Show Organization and Effort how to read and want to
Shows Up for Readily Available Extra Help improve my ability to work
with text”
Show “Critical Thinking” “I haven’t been a talker in
previous years, but I’m
The Extra Mile interested in pushing myself
Propose Your Passion in that regard now.”
Read, Read, Read
Take Control of Your Narrative “I have weaknesses
but also a lot of
strengths. I’m proud
of my strengths, and I
want to improve my
weaker points.”
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
The Extra Mile
Read, Read, Read
Take Control of Your Narrative
Lead by Example in the Classroom and Out
Be ethical, compassionate, listen, and see our time together as
opportunities to connect, explore, and grow, rather than time simply to be
suffered through before getting to be let go
The Basics
Be Prepared
Do the Work
Do the Work on Time
The Commendable
Do It Yourself
The Extra Mile

Read, Read, Read
Take Control of Your Narrative
Lead by Example in the Classroom and Out
Break
Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips
What’s the Point of Writing Assignments?

Why do Teachers Assign Them?
A Grossly Simplified Overview of the Importance of Writing
Once upon a time, many societies had

absolute authorities who dictated what
was true or false
Then, a lot of things happened (e.g. science / democracy) that

undermined the absolute authority of these things/figures
So then the question is, how do democratic societies Evidence

decide what is true/accurate/believable/correct? How
Reasoning
do we decide to whom we should give opportunity,
power, privileges? Argumentation
ESLA Senior A: ESLA Senior B:
“I should be at your college because “While I know that many qualified

the education is important and so applicants apply to your university, I
therefore I would be a good nonetheless believe I am worthy of
addition. As said heretofore, thus I consideration for admission. In my
am a stupendous applicant.” academic accomplishments, my
leadership in the school community,
and in my cultivation of a
sophisticated prose style, I believe I
have the capacities that will allow for
immediate and lasting success at
your institution.”
Behind the Veil: What Writing Assignments Really Are
Especially in the humanities, teachers are not looking for the right answer
Teachers are looking for papers that show thoughtful writing,
attention to detail, and use evidence and ordered reasoning
to make an argument
Essays are really “decision containers” – we are assessing your
decisions throughout. For example:
•Why organize it this way?
•Why introduce this concept now?
•Why construct your paragraph in this manner?
•Why choose that specific wording of your thesis?
•Why use this quotation and not others?
What we’re really assessing is…JUDGMENT

JUDGMENT
Papers that show Papers that show Papers that show

a lot: a little: none:
Good grade! Okay grade! Not okay grade!

JUDGMENT
Is this all “just subjective”?

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The Art of Being a (High School) Student

The Extra Mile

What’s the point of a high school education?

To help you discover and pursue your passions

So how do we get there?

•The Extra Mile

Classroom basics “Are we going to take notes

Teachers make efforts here to eliminate “busy work”

Don’t forget basic self-interest!

Do the work…ON TIME

Falling behind will chip away at your self-confidence

Catching up is much harder than keeping up

Perform Being a Student

You need to demonstrate (perform) that you’re doing your

Perform Being a Student

Not speaking is no longer acceptable

The Basics Be Prepared

The Extra Mile Do It Yourself

Mr. McIntosh, I didn’t Mr. McIntosh, I didn’t

Show Attention to Detail

In How You Speak In How You Write In Following Instructions

Student A: Student B: Student A: Student B: Test says: choose two out

No name, date, title. Name, Date, Title.

“I lost the handout. Can you go print me another?” Has handout

“Can I borrow a pen from someone?” Has pen

2.1 paragraphs 4.5 paragraphs

Show Up for Readily Available Extra Help

Comes to writing center Never comes to writing center

Sets up appointments to meet via email Sets up no appointments

Accuses teacher of being “inaccessible”

Be Honest and Communicative about Struggling

Has a week of feeling overwhelmed Has a week of feeling overwhelmed

The Extra Mile

“This assignment is dumb.” “I don’t feel so driven by this particular

In Your Free Time, Read, Read, Read, Learn, Learn Learn

The Extra Mile

Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips

What’s the Point of Writing Assignments?

Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips

A Grossly Simplified Overview of the Importance of Writing

Once upon a time, many societies had

Then, a lot of things happened (e.g. science / democracy) that

So then the question is, how do democratic societies Evidence

Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips

ESLA Senior A: ESLA Senior B:

“I should be at your college because “While I know that many qualified

Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips

Behind the Veil: What Writing Assignments Really Are

What we’re really assessing is…JUDGMENT

Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips

Behind the Veil: What Writing Assignments Really Are

Papers that show Papers that show Papers that show

Good grade! Okay grade! Not okay grade!

Writing and Writing Assignments: Some Tips

Behind the Veil: What Writing Assignments Really Are

Is this all “just subjective”?

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