Aiming High Step 2

Aiming High: The ability to set clear, tangible goals and devise a robust route to achieving them.

Step 2: I work with care and attention to detail

Outcomes

To achieve Step 2, learners will be able to work with care and attention to detail.

In earlier steps, learners considered how they knew when they were finding something too difficult, and when they were doing something well. In this step, the focus shifts to how to work well, staring with how to take care and pay attention to detail.

Learners need to be able to:

Work carefully, not rushing when working
Pay attention to detail in their work

Introduction

Working carefully is an important part of doing a good job. It is the only way of ensuring that we do a task as well as we can and that we make as few mistakes as possible.
Before we start, we decide that we will do the best job we can, we understand what we are trying to achieve, how we will do that and make sure we have the right equipment available to us.
During the task, we avoid distractions, follow our plan, look for possible mistakes, ask for help when needed and keep to time.

Skill Starter

Careful Planning

In small groups, learners must work together to carefully plan a strategic move, tactic or play. It can be something simple or more complex, depending on the group. The plan can be done on paper, whiteboards or using equipment/props to demonstrate.

For additional support, provide learners with questions to prompt them, for example: Where will each player be positioned? What will they do next? When is the right timing? What will you do if it doesn’t go to plan?

15 mins

Group activity

Written

Teach & Apply

Afterwards we may consider if we can make our work better, ask someone to check it or to give us feedback.
Alongside working carefully is paying attention to detail; it means thinking about not just the main things you need to do in the task but all of the smaller bits too.
In spoken or written work, this could include spelling or grammar mistakes or checking facts and numbers. You may also listen to or read instructions carefully. If we are not paying attention, we might easily miss something – whether we’re learning, or doing our work.

Optional Activity

Sideline VAR

During a game or training activity, select players to take turns being a ‘Video Assistant Referee’. Their role is to identify when the team is taking care and paying attention to detail.

This can be recorded in writing or with equipment, such as a coloured cone for each success. If appropriate, you could also appoint a player to highlight opportunities where more care could have been taken - or assume this role yourself.

Optional extra: Ask some players to deliberately make mistakes and not pay attention. How does this impact the team?

20 mins

Group activity

Active

Reflection & Assessment

Embed these strategies across your teaching and coaching to help learners apply what they’ve learnt.

At the end of a practice or match, ask learners to share an example of when they or a team mate took care and paid attention to detail. Model an example which you observed.

Use these ideas for ways of assessing this skill step to help you check learners’ understanding and confidence.

This step is best assessed through observation, to see whether learners are able to work carefully and with attention to detail over a sustained period of time. Eventually, they should be able to do this without being reminded to by an adult.
Ask these reflective questions:
- What does it mean to work carefully?
- When do you pay attention to detail?
- Do you find it easy or difficult?