Grades 9–10
Take the Strengths Check-In for Grades 9–10 →
[Bracketed text] is AI-drafted content and proposed edits for review, and dashed cards are proposed new skills. None of it is approved.
PLAN
3 skills
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Planning and prioritizing
Set a goal and make a road map with key, manageable steps to reach it[, and decide which steps come first]
What it looks like
- [Mapping out a research paper: He breaks a paper due in three weeks into steps, such as choosing sources, drafting an outline, and writing a first draft, and gives each step its own date.]
- [Ranking the night's work: He looks at a test tomorrow, a lab due Friday, and a reading for next week, and starts with the work that matters most right now.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Treating every assignment the same: He starts with the easiest or most interesting task and runs out of time for the test that counts the most.]
- [Seeing a big project as one huge task: He waits until the last few days because the project feels too large to begin without smaller steps.]
Tools to help
- [Backward planning: Sit with your son and start from the due date. Work backward together to set two or three smaller deadlines, then have him add them to his calendar.]
- [The three-question check: Each Sunday, ask your son: What is due this week? What is hardest? What will you do first? Let him write the answers down.]
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Organization
Identify materials and resources, and develop systems that keep track of work and tasks, organize information, and structure study and learning
What it looks like
- [Keeping one trusted system: He uses one planner or digital calendar for all classes, sports, and activities, and checks it each day without a reminder.]
- [Filing digital work clearly: He names files and folders by class and topic, so he can find last month's notes in less than a minute when a test is coming.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Losing work he already finished: He completes an assignment but cannot find the file or paper when it is time to turn it in.]
- [Spreading tasks across many places: He keeps some deadlines in his phone, some in his head, and some on loose paper, so things slip through.]
Tools to help
- [A weekly reset: Set aside 15 minutes each weekend for your son to clear his backpack, sort papers, and clean up his desktop and downloads folder.]
- [One home for everything: Help your son pick a single calendar or planner. Then encourage him to move every due date, practice, and event into it.]
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Time management
Be aware of time - it passing, how much is needed, how to use it, what is urgent versus what can wait - to stay within time limits [Punctuation: set off "it passing ... what can wait" with parentheses or commas instead of spaced hyphens]
What it looks like
- [Estimating how long work takes: He guesses a math set will take 40 minutes, times himself, and adjusts his plan for the next night based on what really happened.]
- [Balancing school with practice: On a game day, he finishes key homework during a free period so he is not up late after the game.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Losing track of the evening: He sits down to work at 8:00 and is surprised to look up and see it is nearly midnight with little done.]
- [Underestimating big assignments: He plans one hour for a lab report that really needs three, and ends up rushing or turning it in late.]
Tools to help
- [Time it, then plan it: Ask your son to time a few regular assignments this week. Use the real numbers to plan future evenings together.]
- [A visible evening plan: Before he starts homework, have your son sketch a simple schedule with start times, breaks, and a firm stop time.]
What Browning is doing
[Teachers and advisors may help students break long-term assignments into steps and keep one calendar for classes, activities, and athletics. TODO: verify with the division.]
Try this week
[Sit with your son for 15 minutes this weekend and have him put every due date and practice for the next two weeks into one calendar.]
ENGAGE
3 skills
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Healthy habits
Monitor sleep, physical activity,[ nutrition,] stress management, and mindful technology use
What it looks like
- [Protecting his sleep: He sets a regular bedtime on school nights and plugs his phone in outside his bedroom so it does not keep him up.]
- [Noticing stress early: During a heavy test week, he goes for a run, takes a short break, or talks with someone instead of pushing through on no rest.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Scrolling late into the night: He stays on his phone well past bedtime and feels tired and foggy in class the next morning.]
- [Skipping meals or exercise under pressure: When work piles up, he drops the habits that help him most and feels more worn down as the week goes on.]
Tools to help
- [A family charging station: Pick one spot outside the bedrooms where everyone, parents included, charges phones overnight.]
- [A simple weekly check-in: Ask your son to rate his sleep, energy, and stress on a scale of one to five each week, and talk about one small change.]
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Emotional control
Identify[, name,] and manage feelings to direct behavior, complete tasks, collaborate productively, and accomplish goals
What it looks like
- [Pausing after a tough grade: He feels let down by a test score, takes time to cool off, and then reads the teacher's comments to see what went wrong.]
- [Staying steady in a group: When a classmate on a group project does not do his share, he raises the problem calmly instead of getting angry.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Reacting in the heat of the moment: He sends a sharp text or email right after a frustrating moment and regrets it later.]
- [Shutting down when stressed: Facing a hard week, he stops talking, avoids his work, or gets short with family members.]
Tools to help
- [Name it to tame it: When your son is upset, ask him to put a name on what he feels. Naming the feeling often makes it easier to choose a next step.]
- [A cool-down plan: Agree with your son on what helps him reset, such as a walk, music, or quiet time, so he can use it before he responds.]
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Task initiation
Get started on tasks independently and without unnecessary delay[, even when a task feels hard or boring]
What it looks like
- [Starting without a reminder: He comes home, has a snack, and begins his homework at the time he chose, without a parent asking.]
- [Taking the first small step: Facing a paper he dreads, he opens the document and writes one rough paragraph just to get going.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Waiting to feel ready: He keeps putting off a hard task, telling himself he will start once he is in the right mood.]
- [Getting stuck in preparing: He spends a long time cleaning his desk, organizing notes, or checking messages instead of beginning the actual work.]
Tools to help
- [The five-minute start: Encourage your son to work on a task for just five minutes. Once he starts, he will often keep going.]
- [A set start time: Help your son pick a regular homework start time that fits his schedule, then let him own sticking to it.]
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Proposed new skill
[Collaboration]
[Work with others, share ideas, listen, and contribute to a group]
The ENGAGE summary says students show up "ready to learn and collaborate," but no skill names collaboration.
What Browning is doing
[Advisors may talk with students about sleep, stress, and phone use, and help them build routines for getting started on work. TODO: verify with the division.]
Try this week
[Set up a family charging spot outside the bedrooms this week, and have everyone, including parents, plug in phones there each night.]
PERSIST
4 skills
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Working memory
[Hold information in mind and use it. ]Help your brain work efficiently by taking notes, breaking tasks and material into chunks, and connecting new concepts to things already known
What it looks like
- [Taking useful notes: In class, he writes down key ideas in his own words and marks questions to ask later.]
- [Linking new ideas to old ones: While studying for a history test, he connects a new event to something he already learned, which helps him remember both.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Forgetting steps in multi-part tasks: He finishes the first part of an assignment and forgets the other directions the teacher gave out loud.]
- [Rereading without remembering: He reads a chapter twice but cannot explain the main points when someone asks him.]
Tools to help
- [Teach it back: Ask your son to explain what he is studying to you in a few minutes. Teaching it helps him hold on to it.]
- [Write it down right away: Encourage your son to note directions and due dates the moment he hears them, in his planner or phone.]
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Goal-directed persistence
Work toward a goal without giving up or getting distracted[, and keep going after setbacks]
What it looks like
- [Sticking with a long-term goal: He sets a goal to raise a grade by the end of the term and keeps up weekly practice even when results come slowly.]
- [Seeing a project through: He keeps working on a long assignment over several weeks, even when other activities pull for his time.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Losing steam partway through: He starts a new study plan with energy but drops it after a week when it gets boring or hard.]
- [Letting the goal fade: He sets goals at the start of the year but rarely checks on them, so they slip away.]
Tools to help
- [A visible goal tracker: Help your son write one goal and post it where he sees it daily. Have him mark progress each week.]
- [Celebrate the steps: Notice and name the effort your son puts in along the way, not only the final grade or result.]
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Sustained attention
Maintain focus and attention on the task despite distraction, boredom, or tiredness[, including digital distractions]
What it looks like
- [Working in focused blocks: He studies for 25 or 30 minutes with his phone in another room, then takes a short break before starting again.]
- [Staying with dull reading: He keeps working through a dense textbook chapter by taking notes, even when his mind wants to wander.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Switching back and forth: He moves between homework, texts, videos, and games, so a short assignment stretches across the whole evening.]
- [Drifting when tired or bored: He reads the same page several times without taking it in because his focus has slipped.]
Tools to help
- [Phone out of sight: Ask your son to keep his phone in another room or in a drawer while he works. Out of sight makes focus easier.]
- [Timed work and breaks: Suggest a timer for focused work, followed by a short break. Let your son choose the lengths that work for him.]
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Asking for help
Determine when you need assistance, support, or guidance and seek it out[ from the right person]
What it looks like
- [Reaching out to a teacher: When he does not understand a topic, he emails his teacher or goes to see him before the test, not after.]
- [Using the people around him: He asks a classmate, advisor, or tutor for help when he is stuck instead of waiting until he is far behind.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Hoping the problem goes away: He stays quiet about a class he is struggling in until the grade has already dropped.]
- [Asking a parent to step in: He wants a parent to contact the teacher for him instead of reaching out himself.]
Tools to help
- [Draft the email together, once: Help your son write his first email to a teacher asking for help. After that, let him send them on his own.]
- [Normalize asking: Share a time you asked for help at work. Let your son see that strong people ask questions.]
What Browning is doing
[Teachers may model note-taking and study strategies and encourage students to seek out help from teachers before a test. TODO: verify with the division.]
Try this week
[Ask your son to teach you one idea from a class he is studying for. Then have him reach out to his teacher with one question he still has.]
ADAPT
2 skills
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Flexibility
Identify and thoughtfully adjust to change or challenges by trying new strategies or seeking other perspectives
What it looks like
- [Adjusting when plans change: When practice runs late, he feels frustrated but rearranges his evening and picks the most important work to finish.]
- [Trying a new approach: When one way of studying is not working, he tries something new, such as practice tests or a study group.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Getting stuck on one way: He keeps using the same study method even after several tests show it is not working.]
- [Feeling thrown by surprises: A sudden schedule change or a new assignment leaves him upset and unable to plan his next step.]
Tools to help
- [Plan A and Plan B: When your son plans a busy week, ask him what he will do if something changes. Having a backup plan lowers stress.]
- [Ask, what else could work: When your son is stuck, ask him to name two other ways to approach the problem before deciding.]
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Response inhibition
Stop and think before acting[ or speaking]
What it looks like
- [Thinking before posting: He pauses before sharing a photo or comment online and asks himself how it could be seen by others.]
- [Holding back in class: He waits his turn in a discussion and lets others finish their ideas before he jumps in.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Acting on the first impulse: He picks up his phone the moment it buzzes, even in the middle of a test review.]
- [Speaking or sending too fast: He says or posts something in a heated moment that he would not say after a minute of thought.]
Tools to help
- [The pause rule: Agree as a family to wait a set time before replying to an upsetting message. Model it yourself.]
- [Turn off nonessential alerts: Help your son silence app notifications during homework so there are fewer pulls to act on.]
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Proposed new skill
[Stress tolerance]
[Stay calm and keep thinking when things are uncertain, hard, or not going as planned]
The ADAPT summary says students "manage emotions constructively," but neither ADAPT skill covers emotions. This would carry emotions into ADAPT as well as ENGAGE.
What Browning is doing
[Advisors and teachers may help students handle schedule changes and setbacks calmly and think before they act, both in person and online. TODO: verify with the division.]
Try this week
[Ask your son to make a Plan B for his busiest night this week, so he knows what to drop or move if something runs late.]
REFLECT
2 skills
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Metacognition
[Think about your own thinking. ]Use self-monitoring and external feedback to reflect on progress in the moment and again after completion
What it looks like
- [Checking his own understanding: While studying, he quizzes himself to find what he does not know yet instead of only rereading.]
- [Learning from a returned test: He looks over a graded test, sorts his mistakes by type, and changes how he prepares for the next one.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Looking only at the grade: He checks his score, then puts the test away without reading the feedback.]
- [Feeling ready when he is not: He believes he knows the material well, then is surprised when the test shows gaps.]
Tools to help
- [The test wrapper talk: After a test comes back, ask your son: How did you prepare? What worked? What will you change next time?]
- [Practice tests at home: Encourage your son to test himself with flashcards or practice problems before a test, then focus on what he missed.]
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Growth mindset
Understand that everyone has strengths and areas for growth, identify your own, and believe that ability is not fixed and can be developed[, and see mistakes as part of learning]
What it looks like
- [Treating hard classes as a challenge: He says, "I'm not strong in chemistry yet, but I can improve with practice," and makes a plan to do so.]
- [Naming his strengths and growth areas: He can say what he does well, such as writing, and what he is working on, such as test preparation.]
What it doesn't look like
- [Deciding he is just not good at a subject: He says, "I'm not a math person," and stops putting in effort.]
- [Avoiding challenges: He chooses easier options to avoid the risk of failing or looking like he is struggling.]
Tools to help
- [Add the word yet: When your son says he cannot do something, add "yet" to the end of his sentence and talk about what would help him get there.]
- [Share your own growth: Tell your son about a skill you had to work hard to build. Let him see that adults keep learning too.]
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Proposed new skill
[Transfer]
[Use what you learned in one class or situation in a new one]
The REFLECT summary says students "transfer learning to new contexts," but no skill covers it.
What Browning is doing
[Teachers may ask students to review graded work, look for patterns in their mistakes, and set goals for next time. TODO: verify with the division.]
Try this week
[When your son gets a test back this week, ask him what worked, what did not, and one thing he will change next time.]