We have defined the skills of Self Management as those shown below. Click on each one to view the ladder that defines progress in these skills. Alternately if you wish to consider a more general view then see the following section.
Go for it, Finish it. – This is mainly concerned with personal emotional control
Manage Emotions – This is mainly concerned with the social skills of self management
Be Organised – This is a strategic skill
Manage Risk – This is a cognitive skill
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Creating Opportunities to Practice these Skills
Use the following key to work out the level of challenge of any activity you are planning to do. Simply answer yes or no to the first question. If the answer is yes then progress to the next question.
Think of a time when pupils were given challenges they were almost certain to find very difficult.
Q – Was the challenge a bit unpredictable so that pupils needed to use trial and error or start again when their first try didn’t work, or think about what they needed to tackle first?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 0. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Did the challenge require so much effort and organisation that most would feel proud and relieved to finally achive it?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 1. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Did the challenge involve coping with lots of smaller challenges such as how to organise their time, how to use the help of others, how to be reliable and remember things and how to deal with set backs?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 2. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Are pupils given clear deadlines by teachers and encouraged to set their own ones in-between AND is there someone (a Key Mentor) who makes sure the mix of challenges each pupil is dealing with is pushing them but not so hard they are not coping?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 3. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Are pupils set challenges to add a new skill that needs regular (daily?) practice at times that won’t be supervised even though they have a busy week already but may be demonstrated by a public performance for example?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 4. If YES then carry on to the next question
Are pupils challenged to do things outside of their comfort zone which may hold a risk of harm (safely managed), rejection or failure they must safely deal with whilst ALSO ensuring their normal weekly deadlines are not disrupted (they organise catching up what they miss)?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 5. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Have pupils been publically praised for managing to never miss regular voluntary training, practice or study over a year whilst managing to keep to deadlines and manage all the rest of their busy lives reliably and with a positive attitude?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 6. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Are pupils regularly given access to success stories from their peers who have juggled complex lives taken calculated risks, drained their energy and emotion at time but achieved something without their social life and work life suffering?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 7. If YES then carry on to the next question
Q – Did most pupils achieve a level 9 in their peer assessment or peer review using the criteria in the ladders?
If No then stop here, your activity is level 8. If YES then your activity is a level 9
Learning By Ladders 