The Successful Student Equation!

Secrets to a Successful Classroom, School, and Happy Child! 

The Successful Student Equation is CQ + PQ > IQ; where CQ is "curiosity quotient" and PQ is "passion quotient."

Parents, teachers, and students that are curious and passionate about learning ask reflective questions continuously. They will always find academic success! Questions that inspire curiosity, passion, and introspection help students to change, grow, critically think, reevaluate, and seek the best path forward. Curiosity, passion, and questioning are a powerful part of the equation for student success. Four curiosity mindsets that have proven themselves over and over in my class the last 16!

Curiosity Mindset #1 "Mindful of the Past": Mindful nonjudgmental reflection, actively asks reflective and critical reasoning questions about past learning that inspires change, growth, and renewed action in their students. Learning, examining, analyzing failures and setbacks to chart new SMART goals and micro-missions. Setting incremental micro goals based on past setbacks helps to change your outlook and academic outcomes. 

Curiosity Mindset #2 "Mindful of the NOW": Assessing and living in the NOW!  Mindful nonjudgmental Qualitative and Quantitative questions that help students set proactive micro goals.  What are the daily tasks and mini-missions that I need to practice to succeed? Developing a curiosity mindset about personal growth, achievement, and proactive plans that keep you on mission when things get hard. 

Curiosity Mindset #3 "Mindful of the Future": How is my future going to be built, who is going to help me,  and what are my plans? Students and parents that are curious about their child's academic futures, ask questions about the academic skills they need to start developing today for future success, and how they can maximize the teachers and academic institutions support to gain success in their futures. Everything you ever want or desire in the future is on the other side of fear and doubt. 

Curiosity Mindset #4: "Mindful of you Gremlins" Students, teachers, and parents that talk and ask questions about their thoughts and feelings are able to identify poor academic habits and can work together to find fixes. Everyone needs to tame their gremlins "Negative Thoughts, Feelings, and Habits." Self-sabotage, ignoring bad habits, and self-doubt will cement failure, deepen doubt. and or expand their academic achievement gap. Knowledge and understanding of self, helps build EQ emotional intelligence and executive function. Sean Taylor M.Ed

Those with a "fixed mindset" believe that abilities are mostly innate and interpret failure as the lack of necessary basic abilities, while those with a "growth mindset" believe that they can acquire any given ability provided they invest effort or study. Wiki

"In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it." Carol S. Dweck (born October 17, 1946) is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University.

Parents Must Do's For Student Success and Developing a Growth Mindset! 

Parents Must Ask Adroit Questions and Have High Expectations!

Questions to Ask your Child's Teacher!

1. Is My Child Being Challenged?
2. What Is My Child Gifted At? ALL CHILDREN ARE GIFTED AT SOMETHING!
3. First Things First, What Do We Need to Do Right Now to Help My Child Thrive Today and Tomorrow?
4. What Techniques Are Best for Helping My Child Actively Listen, Ask Questions, and Seek Hel[? 
5. What Techniques Are Best for Helping My Child Actively Ask Questions? 
6. What Can We Do to Help My Child Get Organized? 
7. What Can We Do to Help My Child With Stress? 
8. Do You Have the Highest Expectations for My Child? 
9. Please Tell Me About Your Favorite Teaching Methods?
10. Is My Child Demonstrating a Strong Work Ethic?
11. What Can We Do to Help My Child with Areas of Need?
12. What Advice Do You Have To Help Enrich My Child's Education?
13. What Academic Goals Should We Set For My Child? 
14. What Can I Do to Help You?

Questions to Ask your Child's Teacher When Problems Arise! 

PLEASE NEVER AMBUSH THE TEACHER UNANNOUNCED! Share your concerns frankly and ask when the teacher has time to talk! Get to the heart of the matter with deep questions about your child's needs and any concerns you have.  

1. May I Share What's Going on at Home?
2. How Can We Make School Fun and Real? 
3. How Can We Light a Fire and Motivate My Child?
4. How Can I Help My Child When They Get Frustrated with Homework?
5. Is My Child Happy? 
6. Is My Child Making Friends? 
7. How Is My Child Doing Socially and Emotionally?
8. How Is My Child's Focus and Concentration?
9. What Academic or Social Emotional Areas Does My Child Need to Make Improvements?
10. What Can We Do to Help My Child Get Organized? 
11. What Can We Do to Help My Child Deal With Stress? 

Parents that ask how they can help the school build a caring community and a culture of high expectations will find success. 

Academic Questions For Parents! BE SPECIFIC! 

1. How is My Child Progressing in Math, Reading, Writing and Science? 
2. What Is the Best Way to Help My Child Master Their Math Facts? 
3. What Is the Best Way to Study For Spelling Test? 
4. What Is My Child's Grade Level Reading Comprehension Percentile Score? 
5. What Is My Child's Grade Level Reading Fluency Percentile Score? 
6. What Are the Math Skills My Child Needs to Master? 

Students Must Do's For Success! 

Students must Actively Listen to teachers and fellow students. Active listening is a communication technique used in classrooms which requires the listener to repeat what they hear to the speaker, by way of re-stating or paraphrasing what they have heard in their own words, to confirm what they have learned and to confirm the understanding of ideas.

Students Must Ask Their Teachers Erudite Questions! 

Questions to Ask Your Teachers!

1. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Repeat The Directions Again? 
2. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Give Me A Fun or Humorous Way To Remember This? 
3. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Write The Directions on My Paper? 
4. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Explain The Vocabulary In A Different Way?
5. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Me More Time To Think? 
6. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Give Me An Advanced Example? 
7. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Help Me Make A Plan For Success? 
8. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Help Me Set Goals? 
9. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Reteach the Lesson?
10. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Help Me Get Organized? 
11. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Help Me Make a Checklist To Help Me Be More Responsible? 
12. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Break Down Your Lesson Into Bite-Size Ideas? 
13. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Write an Example on My Paper?
14. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Tell Me More About...?
15. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Show Me Another Way?
16. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Give Me More Examples? 
17. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Make or Model a Real World Example? 
18. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Give Me a Simplified Explanation? 
19. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, How Do I Connect This Idea To ....? 
20. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, How Do I Learn This Process Faster? 
21. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, What questions Should I Be Asking You? 
22. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Is Their a Hands on Way to Learn This?
23. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Why Is This Important For Me To Learn?
24. Please, Mr./Mrs./Ms, Will You Show Me A Less Confusing Example?