SuperTips4 - Discover Bible School

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My classes are OK, but the other kids make my life miserable. □ I can't stand .... Illustration & design: Michelle
SuperTips

You can succeed

Fill up yo ur

School tool with tips box

s inside!

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d r a c r t o p e r a m u a r t R eport card day was the worst day of Theo’s life. He always tried to hide his report from his mother, or “forget” to bring it home, but Mom always went looking for it. And her reaction was never good.

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How About You?

“I’m just not cut out for school!” Theo told his mom. “You need to try harder,” she said . . . and then grounded him for two weeks because of the two failing grades on his report. Theo sighed. His mom had been telling him to “try harder” since he was in first grade. Now that he was getting ready to start junior high, it looked like things were only going to get worse. He didn’t like school; he wasn’t good at it; and he really didn’t have any idea how to “try harder.”

“You could do better if only you’d try!” Maybe you, like Theo, have heard that comment from parents, grandparents, or teachers when they looked at your school marks. Whether you’re at the bottom of the class or near the top, there’s always room for improvement— but what does it really mean to “try harder” in school? Check any of the following statements that you think are true for you: n I wish I could do better in school. n School makes me feel very stressed. n I enjoy learning things, but I worry about getting good grades. n My parents are always giving me a hard time about school. n My classes are OK, but the other kids make my life miserable. n I can’t stand school.

What does it mea n to “try harder” in school? 3

Tools for School

Since school isn’t going away any time soon, you might as well make the best of it! Here are a few tips for becoming a more successful student.

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It’s so easy to get the idea that school is all about your brain. But your brain lives inside your body. There’s a very close relationship between your health and your ability to learn. Some simple steps toward better health will help you do better in school:

Sleep tight one thing you A good night’s sleep is n’t concentrate absolutely need. You ca leep. Eight to ten as g llin fa e ’r u yo if s in clas m like a lot, but you hours of sleep may see ur best. need that much to do yo Eat right ally a good breakfast— ci pe es — on iti tr nu d oo G ready to learn. will help your brain get

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Exercise portant, but if you im re a dy u st nd a l oo Sch to homework and only go straight from class play video games, or V T h tc a w to k ea br take a r body right. Get some u yo g tin ea tr t no e ’r u yo oors, if possible—to regular exercise—outd u spend at your desk. yo e tim e th e nc la ba p hel

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say “I hate school!” They’re hurting themselves before they even walk through the school doors. Having a good attitude means looking at your own strengths, focusing on what you do well, and believing you can succeed.

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he POSIT t n IV o Lots of people

Things I’m good at

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2. To practice a positive attitude, 3. make a list of five things you’re 4. really good at that 5. could be helpful in school. (Remember, these don’t have to include just school subjects. “I’m good at getting along with others” is a strength that can help you in the classroom, too!) There’s a lot more to school than just grades and homework. Every day you have to deal with teachers and classmates. It’s great to hang out with your friends at school, but your school scene might also include bullies who harass you or friends who pressure you to do things you know are wrong. Situations like this can create a lot of stress.

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Sometimes when you’re doing poorly in school, the problem isn’t with you and your books; it’s with these other things going on around you. If your parents keep saying, “You have to try to get better grades!” but they don’t know that you’re being bullied by kids in your class, tell them the truth. You need to see the big picture—and so do they—before you can work on solutions.

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OUT

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Pretty much everyone around you— your family, your teachers, even your friends— wants you to succeed at school. There’s a lot of help available. If things are difficult, reach out and ask for help. That could mean reporting a bullying problem to the principal. It might mean asking your teacher for extra help with a difficult subject. Or it may mean seeing your school guidance counselor to get at the roots of some deeper problems. A lot of very bright students fall to the bottom of the class because of a learning disability that nobody knows n Wisdom comes about. If you’re struggling, from getting a ask for help! And keep asking good education. until you get help. n God gladly gives Besides all the human help available, there’s one more wisdom to anyone Source of help you should who asks. plug into. The Bible promises n God shares His that we can have wisdom! wisdom with Read James 1:5 to find out how this happens. Then only a few check the best answer. special people

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Theo’s next

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report card

heo never became a straight-A student. But he did find ways to “try harder.” He opened up to his mom about some of the problems he was having in school, and he and his mom sat down with his teacher to come up with some solutions.

At first Theo was embarrassed about getting the extra help his teacher recommended. But he soon realized that it really did make a difference. He thought his friends might give him a hard time about it, but they didn’t even seem to notice—it turned out a few of them had been getting some extra help in school all along. When Theo brought home his year-end report card, his mom was proud of him. He’d passed every subject, and his teacher’s comments showed that Theo had been working really hard. Theo’s mom bought him a new skateboard and took him out to dinner to celebrate—but the best reward was knowing that he really could do better!

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© istockphoto.com/Jani Bryson

Wisdom for Free God

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cares

od promises wisdom to those who sincerely ask for it. That could mean the wisdom to do better in class or the wisdom to handle a difficult situation with your friends. Whatever it is that makes school challenging for you, God’s promise of wisdom is always available. He cares about every part of your life—including school! Here’s a prayer you can pray:

Dear Father in heaven, thank You for caring about how I do in school. Sometimes I find it stressful and difficult. Please give me that wisdom You promised so that I can handle things better in school. Thank You for always being there. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Front cover: Flying Colors Ltd/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Editors: Kurt Johnson, Russell Holt Writer: Trudy Morgan-Cole Illustration & design: Michelle C. Petz Scriptures are from the NKJV of the Bible unless otherwise noted: Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Copyright © 2010 The Voice of Prophecy PO Box 2525, Newbury Park, CA 91319 Printed in the USA