Friday Mindset #130

Happy Friday, fellow travellers!

Before we start, a quick word about staff CPD: all our dates for the Autumn term ahead are booked up now. Dates in the Spring term are filling well, and soon we’ll be turning our attention to staff CPD sessions post-Easter. Our top-six most popular staff sessions are as follows, so if you’d like a staff CPD session on…

1. Introducing VESPA, with example activities

2. Coaching students

3. Implementing a VESPA project

4. The Exam Mindset - using VESPA for effective revision

5. Vision, motivation, ambition - using VESPA to encourage aspiration

6. Using VESPA to encourage Independent Learning

…get in touch at [email protected].

Student sessions continue apace - there are still dates available there, so no need to panic!

OK, on to this week’s business. Let’s dive in -

Something to try...

This week’s activity emerged from a session we did with some year 11s. This particular group had been identified as underperforming, and we wanted to get them to reflect on the barriers to behaviour change that they might be facing. The idea of comfort kept coming to mind - we’ve worked (as you may have!) with a number of students who have become so comfortable, even the smallest exertion is considered outrageous. “But Sir…” one lad said after we suggested they do some vaguely proactive work, “it’s just… effort.” Yeah. It is.

So when we came across the work of the University of Nebraska’s Professor Michael Easter, and his book The Comfort Crisis, it really struck a chord. Here’s a brief clip of Easter outlining his concerns about a kind of ‘comfort trap’ we create for ourselves:

And here’s a new effort activity we’ve written to go with it:

The session went well. The students reflected on their barriers and made plans. Fingers crossed for them. Hope the resources are useful!

Something we're reading...

Last week was about a piece written by a medic - this week we’re on the successful study habits of medics… it’s almost as if we have predicted grades and early university applications on our mind. Hmm, wonder why that might be.

So that’s why Study Habits of Highly Effective Medical Students caught our eye recently. It’s a great insight into high-performing students and what they do. Although it’s related to medicine, we think it applies to all students - you could give your students the article and then ask them to highlight elements of VESPA:

Here are the elements we found:

Vision

• Goal Setting: Setting specific, measurable, achievable goals for each study session to focus efforts.

Effort

• Study Time: On average, highly effective medical students were reported to study for approximately 5-6 hours per day. This time commitment reflects their disciplined approach to maintaining a consistent and focused study routine.

• Pomodoro Technique: Some students use structured study techniques like the Pomodoro method to sustain their effort with focused study intervals followed by short breaks.

Systems

• Regular Study Time: High-performing students tend to follow a consistent study schedule, often studying daily rather than cramming for exams.

• Early Preparation: Starting preparation early for exams or complex topics ensures better retention and reduces last-minute stress.

• Concept Mapping: Organising material through visual diagrams to understand the relationships between complex concepts, which helps in synthesizing information.

Practice

• Prioritisation of Difficult Topics: Prioritsing study topics based on importance and difficulty, ensuring that more challenging content is addressed first.

• Spaced Repetition: Successful students use spaced repetition, revisiting material at increasing intervals to reinforce memory.

• Practice Testing: Engaging in self-testing or using question banks to assess knowledge and apply it in problem-solving situations

• Study Groups: Collaborative learning through group study sessions, where students explain concepts to each other, deepening their understanding.

• Multiple Learning Resources: Effective students make use of a variety of resources, including textbooks, lecture notes, online platforms, and peer discussion groups.

• Supplemental Material: Using supplemental materials like videos, podcasts, or clinical cases to understand difficult topics.

• Self-Assessment: Frequently testing oneself to identify weaknesses and adjusting study plans accordingly.

• Teaching Others: Teaching fellow students or explaining concepts aloud helps reinforce learning

Attitude

• Breaks and Physical Activity: Taking regular breaks and engaging in physical activities to maintain mental health and prevent burnout.

• Sleep Hygiene: Prioritising sleep to ensure cognitive function is at its best, as lack of sleep can negatively impact performance.

There you go - lots to reflect on!

Buy us a Coffee...

This is a free newsletter and it will always be a free newsletter, we hope. We’re not going in for extra content behind a paywall, or premium memberships, or slimmed-down versions. We want to carry on as we are.

But it takes us between two and three hours a week to write each issue, and a tenner or so each time we post lucky winners their free books. So if you enjoy the ideas and resources, and you’d like to help us out in just a small way, why not buy us a coffee every now and then? We’ll put the proceeds towards postage. If you’re digging this stuff, send a couple of quid our way using the tab below:

Cheers folks. Much appreciated.

Our latest offer...The ‘Steve’s Attic’ Bonanza Part 3!

A last reminder: over the summer, Steve was clearing out his attic, when he found a box of our books he’d forgotten about. So we’ve got three books to give away this week - one A Level Mindset, one GCSE Mindset and one VESPA Handbook.

It’s very simple. Just like last time (well done to the lucky winners… we’re ignoring you guys this time around so you don’t hog the limelight!) if you’re amongst the first three people to email us right now at [email protected], and leave your school address, we’ll post a random one out to you as a little pressie! This newsletter lands at 3:20pm on September 20th, and we imagine by 3:45pm, we’ll have our winners. So if you’re reading this and the window is still open - drop us a line.

This is the last of the Steve’s Attic giveaways… thanks to everyone who threw their name in the ring!

OK. The sun’s out, let’s go. All the best to you and yours,

Steve, Martin and Tony

p.s. We once worked with a school who had a ‘plan A/B’ approach to vision and aspiration. Every student we interviewed in a particular year 11 focus group could tell us what their ‘plan A’ and their back-up ‘plan B’ was for the future. It was pretty impressive, and we were reminded of it when a colleague sent this image through to us at the usual email address (we don’t know the source… sorry.)

It’s a subtle difference, but an interesting one. We’re pondering it right now. Maybe you’ll find the reframe to ‘Must/Bonus’ a useful one too: