Year 7 Successful Starts
Hello Year 7!
Now’s a good time to check that you have:
Something you can write with (a working pen or pencil)
• A piece of paper
Whilst you’re waiting, start thinking of any questions you might have about university life for later in the session.
Successful Starts
Think about how to make the best possible start in something new
Explore the idea of ‘mindsets’ and how they could be useful when we make a new start
Consider what advice we’d offer to a future Year 7 student
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Getting to know you
• What do you think your best skills are?
What are your strengths?
• What are some of the achievements that you are most proud of? Were they easy to achieve?
• What are your partners strengths?
New starts
Can you think of any examples which would be a 'new start' for someone?
Write down how making a ‘new start’ might make you feel (think about how starting Year 7 felt).
How do you feel about learning something new?
Elena
‘I had my first piece of marked work back from my tutors at University yesterday. I was really disappointed with the markeveryone else did better than me.
I won’t bother reading the feedback - there’s no point – it’s just criticism of what I wrote. I know that I could have put more effort into working on it but I’ve always been good at this subject before. Maybe I should just give up.’
Jamal
‘Got my first assessment back yesterday – it’s really useful to get some feedback and see where I am at the moment.
There’s a bit of the course that I haven’t understood yet and I got some things wrong but my lecturer’s feedback has helped me think about how I can move forward. I wasn’t really worried about the grade itself - I know if I keep putting in some effort, I’ll move forward!’
Spot the Difference
Elena JamalI had my first piece of marked work back from my tutors at University yesterday. I was really disappointed in the mark - everyone else did better than me.
I won’t bother reading the feedback - there’s no point –it’s just criticism of what I wrote. I know that I could have put more effort into working on it but I’ve always been good at this subject before. Maybe I should just give up.
Got my first assessment back yesterday – it’s really useful to get some feedback and see where I am at the moment.
There’s a bit of the course that I haven’t understood
yet and I got some things wrong but my lecturer’s feedback has helped me think about how I can move forward. I wasn’t really worried about the grade itself - I know if I keep putting in some effort, I’ll move forward!
• The students react in different ways because they have different mindsets about learning.
• Your mindset is made up of your beliefs and how you see/react to the world around you.
• There are lots of different mindsets but we’re going to focus on growth and fixed mindsets:
A ‘fixed’ mindset
A ‘fixed’ mindset is built on the belief that you can’t grow your intelligence and so it’s not worth trying.
Someone with a fixed mindset may:
• Avoid challenges or give up quickly
• See feedback as negative
A ‘growth’ mindset
A ‘growth’ mindset focuses on the idea that you can grow your intelligence.
Someone with a growth mindset may:
• See challenges and mistakes as an opportunity to progress
• Take feedback (or criticism) as help to progress
• Think that other people succeeding is inspirational
Activity: On your worksheet, draw lines between the statements and the mindset it is most suited to
A ‘fixed’ mindset
Avoids things that might be hard. I can’t do this. I give up. Doesn’t find feedback or criticism useful. This feedback just means that I’m rubbish.
Finds success of others offputting.
Doesn’t see the point of putting in effort.
Everyone else is so much better at this than me. I shouldn’t try.
Why should I bother?
A ‘growth’ mindset
When it’s difficult, I know that I’m learning something. Learns from setbacks. It’s ok to make mistakes because I can learn.
Sees the benefit of challenges.
Finds inspiration in others’ successes. It’s great to see my friend improve. It inspires me to try!
Sees that putting in effort is needed to progress!
Fixed mindset.
I hate it when I get things wrong as I think it makes me look stupid in front of my friends.
Growth mindset.
If I work hard, especially at the things that I find hard, then I could progress to university in the future.
Growth mindset.
I can't do this, yet.
Your Mindset
When do you think you’ve had a growth or a fixed mindset? Can you think of some examples from primary school, from lockdown or starting at secondary school?
Why do you think a growth mindset might be useful when you start something new?
Your Mindset
In your education, when could a growth mindset be beneficial to you? (Example GCSE’s)
Do you have any hobbies or sports in which a growth mindset could be useful? If so, how?
Extra question: What could you do when you are faced with an obstacle? What could you try to overcome a problem when learning?
You’ve started Year 7 and you are now equipped with information to help you make a great start to your time at secondary school!
Other 'New starts' in your future may include: College: somewhere that you can go and study when you’ve finished Year 11 at school. You can choose what to study from a range of different qualifications.
University: somewhere that you can choose to go and study at when you’re 18 or older. You can move away and live in student halls on campus or stay at home and commute.
Apprenticeship: another type of learning that offers lots of options. You can study whilst you work for an employer.
Your task is to write postcards to Year 6 students offering them advice on how to make the best possible start at school and in their futures.
Think about:
• What would you have found useful to know at the start of Year 7?
Other things you could include:
• Ideas about growth mind-set
• Advice on how to respond when they find things difficult
• Any information about their future options you might want to include (there’s key vocabulary in your booklet).