Key Habits for the Classroom

Come to class prepared !

Preparing for the Classroom

Don't sit back with your mind in neutral waiting for your teacher to "spoon feed" you. That's not an effective way to learn.

How many students are just hearing but not listening closely, seeing but not observing, taking notes without thinking, allowing their minds to drift ?

Sadly the answer is too many.

Are you one of these students ?
Would you like to improve ?


                 What can I do better in the classroom ?

A Few Key Classroom Habits

There are many useful habits that you could develop to help you gain the most from a lesson or lecture. Obviously classes can be very different from one another - so I will just mention a few Key Habits that could be applied to most situations.

You should begin preparing for the lesson before class. You've done the reading, made a summary of the main ideas of the lesson topic and you may have a few questions jotted down to ask about.

                      Key habits help you to remain focused

Stop and Think

During class you should be totally focused particularly when the teacher is talking. (Concentration is a Key Mind-Skill)

Use questions to cross-check what the teacher says with your own understanding of the main points (Is that how I see it ? But what if ? How come come then ? If that's so then why does this happen ? Is this related to that ?).

Always be actively thinking and jot down any questions on a point your not so sure about - ask the teacher at the end of the session.

Questions are a powerful way to stay on focused. Try to connect the new material to something you already know and understand.
(I will talk in more detail about using questions later)

Never leave a lesson without clarifying a point not fully understood. Before you leave try to mentally review the new material. Check that your questions from your pre-class readings were answered.

Try to visualize as much as possible. Painting mental pictures is a most powerful Key Mind Skill. In fact you are able to recall up to 10,000 images but only a 100 or so words.


Never forget that these Key Habits and Mind Skills take time and practice to develop.

Don't try to rush the training !

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