Personhood Curriculum 6th Grade

 

Bad Habit of the

"Just Get Through It"

Mistake

Lesson Plan

aphg6-14

(Time estimate = TBD)

Expand the Student's Self-Interest Horizon in such a way that they don't rush when there is no need. Improves the quality of their work and their test scores.

CAUSES OF THE MISTAKE

1. No relevance thinking. "I don't see how this is important to me. Just Get Through It!"
2. No self-respect. "I can't do it, so why try. Just Get Through It! "
3. Lacking motivation. "I don't care. Just Get Through It! "
4. Lacking algorithm. "I really don't know how to go about this. Just Get Through It!"

If you wish to provide your students with hard copy of the heart of this lesson, then download and print out the Rich Text Format file, getthru.rtf. It is a single page.

You can view this file in Web format here: getthrough.htm. If printed, this is a multipage document.

Introduction

Once a father called me to find out why his son, normally an "A" student and rather competent in using a computer, had failed a computer test. During the three-way telephone conversation we explored the situation with the boy. The student admitted to his father and me that he was "just in a hurry to get through it!" Even though he had plenty of time and finished early, he had rushed, and had not checked his work! Dad: "How could you DO THAT?"

I have heard it from other students. It is a too common problem. Fortunately, it is easy to correct, and correcting it shows good results immediately!

Relevance

IF: You are interested in having a good future - if that is a main goal of yours,

OR-IF: You have a Life-Goal of making a good living,

OR-IF: You have a Life-Goal of being respected by others,

OR-IF: You have a Life-Goal of respecting yourself,

THEN: The "Just Get Through It!" habit is like shooting yourself in the foot!

During this lesson, I will be talking directly to individual students. I am not picking you out for any particular reason. I hope you will be honest in your answers - not for my sake, but for yourself.

If you should feel embarrassed because of your answer, promise yourself that you will correct the problem and thus become a better student. Once you have done that, you have changed! You are no longer the same as you were when you made the mistake. Your self-respect will rise up a notch! "I have made myself better than I used to be! I am getting better and better all the time!"

The rest of you, when I am talking to an individual, in your mind pretend I am talking to you personally, and in your mind answer honestly for yourself.

In the following go around the room addressing each student in turn, one question per student. Repeat the cycle of questions until all students have been questioned once.

 

Honestly look at yourselves to see if you have been doing these things. Is this how YOU think?

• “Start at the beginning and work straight through to the end, and then stop.” - - - Is that YOU?
• “Just Get Through It!” - - - Is that YOU?
• “Hurry and get it over with.” - - - Is that YOU?

Is this what YOU do?

• Keep moving fast so you can get through it. - - - Is that YOU?
• Don’t spend much time trying to understand the instructions or the work.- - - Is that YOU?
• You go through a paper getting a function wrong in the beginning. Then, part way through the paper, you start getting that function right. You do NOT go back to the earlier part and correct what you did wrong. - - - Is that YOU?

If you have been shooting yourself in the foot by doing the "Just Get Through It!" mistake, you need to make the effort to consciously decide you will stop doing it. You need to make the decision to take action to make a change.

Motivation

 You should decide to embrace solid motivation. Your motivation should be:

1. Given the limits of time or materials,

• I will do the very best job I can,
• So I can respect myself!

 

2. I will learn this

• For life!
• So I can use it in the future!
• So that the time I spend on it will not be wasted!
• So it can be of real value to me!

You should decide to embrace a solid change of attitude. Memorize this, and use it!

1. Consciously decide to do the best job you can!

2. Consciously decide to take the time needed to do it right!

3. Consciously decide to go back over your paper, using all the time remaining.

• Did I do it all? Mark off each instruction you have completed.
• Did I do each part correctly? Mark off each.
• Did I have a problem with a part that I now know how to do? Go back and try again.
• Play Teacher: What will she be looking for? Check those things.
• What kind of mistakes might I have made? Check those things.

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Relevance

Self-Respect

• You will be judged all through your life by how well you perform in everything YOU do. If YOU take pride in your work, other people will be impressed, and think highly of YOU.
• Before you can expect other people to respect you, YOU must respect YOURSELF by showing them that you are WORTHY of their respect! (Repeat this!)
• God doesn’t make Junk. Don’t trash yourself by making halfhearted efforts!
• It is a wonderful feeling to be able to say, “I did a very good job on that project!”

"Just Getting Through It" means you have, at that moment, chosen to be a mediocre, ho-hum, and barely competent person! Don't do that to yourself! PLEASE!

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Periodically

Teacher Follow-up

 At the beginning of each class assignment or test, say to them something like:

Please don't make the "Just Get Through It" mistake! Be able to hold your head high, and say to yourself "I did a good job on that!"

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As of: 31 Aug '03