Learning Skills

To receive "Excellent" in the following learning skills, the student should demonstrate these habits

Responsibility

· Fulfils responsibilities and commitments within the learning environment

· Completes and submits class work and homework according to agreed upon timelines

· Takes responsibility for and manages own behaviour

Organization

· Devises and follows a plan and process for completing work and tasks

· Establishes priorities and manages time to complete tasks and achieve goals

· Identifies, gathers, evaluates, and uses information technology and resources to complete tasks

Independent Work

· Independently monitors, assesses, and revises plans to complete tasks and meet goals

· Uses class time appropriately to complete tasks

· Follows instructions with minimal supervision

Collaboration

· Accepts various roles and an equitable share of work in a group

· Responds positively to the ideas, opinions, values, and traditions of others

· Builds healthy peer-to-peer relationships through personal and media-assisted interactions

· Works with others to resolve conflicts and build consensus to achieve group goals

· Shares information, resources and expertise, and promotes critical thinking to solve problems and make decisions

Initiative

· The ability to assess and initiate things independently

· The power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do

· Looks for and acts on new ideas and opportunities for learning

· Demonstrates the capacity of innovation and a willingness to take risks

· Demonstrates curiosity and interest in learning

· Approaches new tasks with a positive attitude

· Recognizes and advocates appropriately for the rights of self and others

Self-Regulation

· Sets own individual goals and monitors progress towards achieving them

· Seeks clarification or assistance when needed

· Assesses and reflects critically on own strengths, needs, and interests

· Identifies learning opportunities, choices, and strategies to meet personal needs and achieve goals

· Perseveres and makes an effort when responding to challenges

The labour market is more challenging today than ever before. Students will be competing against talent from all across the planet in the age of a "knowledge economy". The days of getting a solid middle class job with average skills are gone.

In my class, I will push every student to GROW. Growth looks extremely different from one student to the next, and I am only doing my job if I push them to push their limits every single day. They should lean on their strengths and fortify their weaknesses. Every single class I expect students to be marginally smarter and more insightful than they were a mere 75 minutes earlier.

To set up students for success in the future, it's not about being easy on kids, it's about being tougher than ever before. The things in life that we feel most proud of are invariably the ones that were the toughest to achieve. I believe students respond to the challenge and respect teachers who set the bar high.

Trivia: Name the geo-political billionaire who played in the NFL, was on the PGA tour and was a NASA astronaut