STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM

Teacher’s Guide
SY 2015-2016
 SSP SESSION: “I WANT” and Lifemap

Overview: College can be an exciting time for students, full of new experiences, challenges, and
opportunities. It can be a valuable space for students to explore how they can develop their potential;
however, it can be overwhelming to students who do not have clear plans for their future. When faced
with obstacles, distractions, or difficult decisions, students might lose sight of why they are in college.

This session aims to help students envision what they want for their future and understand how their
academic tasks are connected to achieving that vision. The activity also aims to guide students in the
process of setting long-term and short-term goals. By helping students think of college not just as
something they are “supposed to” do but as something that will help them reach their own goals, we
can strengthen students’ academic motivation.

Goals: This session has the following objectives:

 To encourage students to reflect on their future;

 To help students identify their long-term goals based on their own values, desires, and beliefs;
 To help students identify short-term goals in connection with their long-term goals; and
 To enhance students’ academic motivation by linking their tasks and activities as college
students to their personal goals and visions in life.

Materials:

1. Index cards (pieces of scratch paper cut to approximately 3x5 size can also be used)
2. Blank Lifemap templates (see attachment). 2 copies per student – 100 copies per class.
3. Handout: Why go to college? (see attachment)
4. Student copies of Success Chunks activity.

Participants: up to 50 students

No. of hours: 3 hours

Mode of delivery: Mini-workshop, small group discussion, short lecture

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
A. Visioning and brainstorming 45 minutes

1. Distribute 6 index cards/pieces of paper to each student. Instruct students to

number each piece from 1-6.

2. Tell students that for this activity, they will be asked to think about their own visions
for their future. Remind them to answer as honestly as they can.
To help focus their answers, instruct them to think of at least 3 categories of their life
goals/visions:
a. Relationships with others (family, friends, work relationships)
b. Work or career goals
c. Other personal achievement activity goals (hobbies, travel, athletics, etc.)
Write these categories on the board to help students keep them in mind
throughout the exercise.

Instruct students to visualize what it would be like if they were living a fulfilling life.

3. Next, ask the following guide questions for Index Cards 1-3. Tell them to write at
least three answers on each card.

3.1 Index card 1: How do you want to spend your life after you graduate from
college? Make a list of activities and goals. (Time: Five minutes)*

3.2 Index card 2: What do you want to be doing 15 years from now? Again, list
activities and goals. (Time: Five minutes)*

3.3 Index card 3: If you had six months to live, how would you spend it? List
activities and goals. (Time: Five minutes)*

3.4 After the first three index cards, give the class three minutes to go over
their answers and add or delete any item that has come to mind since the start
of the exercise.

4. For Index card 4, give the following instructions:

4.1 Index card 4: Look at Index Card # 1 and select ONLY ONE goal or activity
that you most desire to achieve and write it on Index Card 4. (One minute)

4.2 Index card 4: Select ONLY ONE goal or activity from Card # 2 that you most
desire to achieve and write it on Index Card 4. (One minute)

4.3 Index card 4: Select ONLY ONE goal or activity from Card # 3 that you most
desire to achieve and write it on Index Card 4. (One minute)

At this point, each student should have 3 items (goals/activities) on Card # 4.

5. For Index Card 5, ask the following guide question and provide instructions:

5.1 Index card 5: What are things you can do in the next 4 years to move
towards achieving the three answers you wrote on Card #4? Write as many
answers as you can think of. Put at least ten answers on Index Card 5. Do not
consider whether it is really doable for you; just brainstorm anything you can
do in the next 4 years and write it on card 5. (Ten minutes)

5.2 Now, scratch out any item on card 5 that you don’t actually think you can
 do or don’t intend to do. Make sure you leave at least six items on the card. If
you scratch out too many items, brainstorm more answers that you think you
can actually do. (Five minutes)

6. Give the following instructions for Index Card 6:

6.1 Index card 6: Look over the answers that are now on Index Card 5. Which of
these can you do within this school year? Choose 3 items from Card # 5 that
you will do within this school year and write them on this card. (Five minutes)

7. After completing the six index cards, tell your students they are now ready to fill up
their Lifemap.
B. Lifemap 10 minutes

1. Distribute sheets of paper with the Lifemap template. (see attached). Each student
should get two copies of the blank Lifemap template. Tell them they should only write
on these Lifemaps using pencils so that they can erase and change their answers if they
want to. Have them write their name on both copies. They will also write their answers
to “A Fulfilling Life”, “Steps to Success”, and “What I can start doing now” on both
copies. They should write the same answers on both copies.

2. Instruct students look for the space labeled “A Fulfilling Life” (near the bottom of the
Lifemap). Tell them to write down the three items they ended up with on Card # 4 in
the corresponding spaces. Say that this part represents their long-term goals or their
visions for the future.

3. Next, tell students to look for the space labeled “Steps to Success” (higher than “A
Fulfilling Life” and near the right). Instruct them to write down the items they wrote on
Card # 5 in the corresponding spaces. Say that these are the steps towards their vision
of a fulfilling life that they have identified as doable within the next 4 years.

4. Instruct students to look for the space labeled “What I can start doing now” (near
the top left of the Lifemap). Tell them to write down the items they wrote on Card # 6
in the correspondings. Say that these are the actions towards their vision that they
have identified as doable within the current school year.

5. When they have written their answers on the designated spaces, tell them that these
Lifemaps are their personal reminders of their long-term goals and the steps they can
take to achieve those goals. They will keep submit one copy to the SSP adviser for their
files, to be turned over to a different adviser next year. They will keep the second copy
for themselves, which they can revisit any time. Encourage students to revisit their
Lifemaps when they experiences challenges or feel uncertain about college. Explain
that there may be times when they want to change their answers to some parts of their
Lifemap, and that it is ok for them to do so.

[NOTE: For SSP-2 and above, instruct your students to think of at least two specific
academic goals for the school year that will help them achieve the responses they
wrote in the other spaces. Encourage them to make their goals as specific as possible,
i.e. “I want to get at least a 2.0 in all my subjects this year.” Have them write their goals
on the corresponding space—“Second year goals”, “Third year goals”, etc.]
C. Group sharing 30 minutes

1. Divide the class into small groups (5 students per group). This can be done by having
them count off from 1 to 10, and then grouping together all students who counted 1,
all students who counted 2, and so on. Another option is to group students in
alphabetical order based on their last names. [5 minutes]

2. Tell them to sit with their groups in circles so that they are facing each other. They
will be talking to each other about their answers to the activity. Explain that talking to
others about their plans and goals for the future will help them think more clearly about
these and will also strengthen their commitment to achieve these goals. Instruct them
to share their "Lifemaps" with each other and discuss their answers using the guide
questions provided below. Encourage them to identify similarities and differences, and
to ask each other questions about their output. Allow them to edit their own lifemaps if
they learned or realized some ideas from their classmates' sharing. [20 minutes]

Guide questions:

 Are there any similarities in your group members’ answers about a “fulfilling life”
that are shared by most or all members of the group? What are these?
 Are there any unique or unusual ideas about a “fulfilling life” that were mentioned
by some members of the group? If so, what are these? What reasons did they give
for considering these to be part of their vision of a fulfilling life?
 For the “Steps to Success” part, are there any similarities in your group members’
answers? If so, what are these?
 Are there any unique answers to the “Steps to Success” part that were mentioned
by some members of the group? If so, what are these? What reasons did they give
for considering these to be part of the actions they can take towards success?
 Are there any similarities in the answers to “What I can start doing now” that were
shared by most or all members of the group? If so, what are these?
 Are there any unique answers to “What I can start doing now”? If so, what are
these? What reasons did your groupmate/s give for considering these to be part of
their things they can start doing?
 Did the answers and ideas shared in the group cause any of the group members to
change their answers to this activity?
 What did you learn from each other’s sharing?

As students discuss in groups, go around the class and listen to their sharing. Note the
themes that they discuss (some common themes include a vision of financial stability
and being able to provide for their family, a vision of having a good job, plans to finish
college, and plans to do well in their classes).

3. Instruct students to identify key learnings from the activity and from their sharing of
Lifemaps (1-3 key learnings per group). Give each group time to write down their key
learnings. Collect each group’s summary of their key learnings. [5 minutes]
D. Short lecture/discussion: 20 minutes

Using students’ answers to the small group discussion as a springboard, guide students
in discussing important points they can take away from this exercise. These include:
 This exercise is about exploring motivation. If you want something, consider it
important, and assign value to it, you are more likely to put in the effort that it
takes to achieve that goal.
 Even though there are many things we want to achieve, we can narrow these
down to a few that we truly value. Some of these may change as we grow
older and learn more about ourselves and others. But for most of us, one thing
that our long-term goals have in common is that having a steady source of
income can help us achieve them. This means that finding—and keeping—a job
that is stable and rewarding can help us to make our vision of a good life come
true.
 A good college education can help students develop the qualities that they
need to find rewarding work in the field that they are interested in. It can also
prepare students to be lifelong learners—to be able to keep learning and
growing even when they are already in the working world. (The adviser may
point out the Mission of PHINMA Education Network: To develop the Filipino
youth into employable global professionals through the endowment of
knowledge and skills and the formation of character and spirit.)
 Distribute the Handout: Why go to college? Each student should have one copy
each. Explain that it shows data from the US about the average earnings of
people with different levels of education. Ask them to share their observations
about the data. Emphasize the difference between the earnings of a college
graduate and a high school graduate. Explain that even though these numbers
are from a different country, similar patterns can be observed in most
countries. This shows the importance of a college degree.
 In order to have the qualifications required to get a good job, they have to
finish their college degrees. In order to finish their college degrees, they have
to finish every school year of their college life. In order to finish all necessary
school years, they need to be successful in this school year and enroll with us
next school year.
 Staying in college until they finish their degree may sometimes be difficult, and
students may sometimes find themselves losing their motivation to keep
studying. Having a Lifemap can help students remind themselves of their vision
of a good life, and of how college is connected to that vision. That is why their
SSP adviser will keep copies of their Lifemaps so that they can revisit them later
on and use them as a personal tool to stay motivated.

E. Success Chunks [NOTE: Only applicable to SSP-1] 30 minutes

1. Have students work on the Success Chunks Activity sheet. Guide them in filling out
the blank areas under each category (Years 1-5, After Graduation) by responding to the
guide questions (“What are your goals for each school year?”; “What do you think are
you most important tasks/activities for each year?”).

2. Write on the board or show via a projector PEN's goals for its students. (See “Success
Chunks_Teacher's Copy). You may mention the subpoints for each:

Goal of Year 1: Staying in School

Goal of Year 2: Basic Degree Aptitude
• The student must be able to enrol in Year 2
• The student must be able to finally decide what course is most suitable for him
Goal of Year 3: Surviving the Degree
• The student must be able to learn the ropes of his course
Goal of Years 4&5: Succeeding in the Degree
• The student will start preparing for graduation
• The student will start preparing for board exams, if necessary
Our Graduate:
• Possesses the specific competencies needed to succeed in his/her chosen profession
✔ can pass the required professional exam when necessary
✔ has been exposed to his/her industry
✔ has a working knowledge of profession-specific computer programs
• Can use different tools correctly
✔ can use tools purposively and interactively
✔ has strong communication skills
✔ has strong literacy and numeracy skills
✔ is able to use technology
✔ is able to use knowledge and information; is a problem solver
• Can act/work independently
✔ can act autonomously
✔ is confident – has the ability to defend and assert his rights, interests, limits, and
needs
✔ can think independently and critically
✔ has the ability to act within the big picture
• Can interact in different groups
✔ can interact in socially heterogeneous groups
✔ is able to relate well with others
✔ is able to cooperate and collaborate
✔ is able to manage and resolve conflicts

3. Reiterate that for this year, their goal is to successfully finish their first year so
they could enrol and proceed to 2nd year. (“I can survive the first sem”; “I can finish my
first year with flying colors.”) Discuss the various ways that the school is helping the
students succeed:
a. SSP
b. Improvement of reading comprehension via SRA
c. Simultaneous classes that focus on dynamic learning and student-centered activities
d. Availability of SSP adviser and other teachers for consultation on academic, social,
and financial concerns
e. Various options provided by CSDL to address financial concerns.

4. Tell students to write their goals for each school year on the spaces provided in the
Lifemap.
F. Recap

Remind students that their Lifemap and their goals can change and that is ok, as long as
they continue to keep in mind their vision for their future. Collect one copy of each
student’s Lifemap. Tell students that they can keep their personal copy so they can
look at it and remind themselves of their goals and vision whenever they need to.
Inform them that you will be keeping the copy they submitted to you for future
activities.

NOTES TO SSP-1 ADVISERS:

 If there is still time in the session at this point, SSP advisers can proceed to the “I Can” Module from
the original FSP:
o Initial Discussion on Malleable Intelligence and the “I Can” Disposition
o Activities and Discussion on Brainology (“I Can Improve My Brain”)
o Follow up Activity on Malleable Intelligence
o OPTIONAL: Focus on “I Want” Academic Success [Note: This activity will now be optional since
its main points are covered by the Lifemap activity. Prioritize the “I Can” activities before
deciding if you have time to do this activity.]
 On the first SSP-1 session of the second semester, bring your copies of your student’s Lifemaps.
Distribute the copies to the corresponding students and tell them to go over their responses. Ask
them if there is anything they would like to change, and give them time to do so if needed. Collect
their Lifemaps before proceeding to the session on Leadership and Working in Groups I. This should
take about 10 minutes of the session.
 At the end of the school year, be ready to turn over your copies of your students’ Lifemaps to the
respective deans of the department your students belong to.

NOTES TO SSP-2 TO SSP-5 ADVISERS:

 The time allotments for this activity were made with freshman students in mind. Older students,
especially 3rd year students onward, may need a little less time to think of their answers to the
Lifemap questions since they are more inclined to think of their future. You may adjust the time
allotment for each step accordingly, especially if there are constraints on the amount of time
available for you to conduct the activity.
Sample of blank Lifemap template.
HANDOUT: Why go to college?
 SSP SESSION: Video Intervention

Overview: Our students have big dreams for themselves and their families. To achieve this, they are
pursuing their college education. But in the middle of this, they may experience challenges that will
cause them to find college overwhelming and to feel like they do not “belong”. This is particularly
common among students who are from low-income families, or who are the first in their family to go to
college and feel unsure of what to expect. This mindset may lead students to give up more easily in the
face of challenges. For example, imagine a student who doubts whether she belongs in college. If she
gets a failing grade on an exam, she might conclude that she really is not fit for college and then stop
attending classes.

We can address this by helping students see that it is actually common to experience challenges and to
find it difficult to adjust to college life, but that it is possible to overcome these and achieve academic
success with effort and support. This approach is most effective when students hear from relatable
peers who have had these experiences and were able to overcome them.

In this session, students will view a short video compilation of interviews with selected students from
their school. The video shows the students talking about the challenges they experienced in school,
instances when they felt they could not succeed in college or did not belong in college, and how they
were able to overcome these challenges.

NOTE: It is IMPORTANT that students watch the videos in a “one-to-one” setup—that is, each student
should be looking at his/her own designated screen where the video is being played and listening to the
audio on earphones. That means this session should be held in a computer lab where each student can
be designated one computer each (even if there are available classrooms or venues with large screens).
This will allow students to watch at their own pace. For example, if a student did not clearly understand
one part, he/she can rewind to that part and rewatch it without affecting the others. It will also help
students process and respond to the videos on their own, without being too conscious of how the rest
of the group is reacting. For freshmen students, this activity will be conducted during one IT 009 session.
For 2nd year students onward, this activity should be scheduled during an IT class or during any other
time that they can use the computer lab.

Goals: The aim of this session is to change students’ beliefs about college, specifically about
experiencing difficulties in college. Instead of believing that difficulties in college mean that they are not
fit for college (“I can’t” or “I don’t belong”), we want our students to gain the mindset that difficulties
are simply a common part of adjusting to college life and can be overcome through one’s effort and the
support of others.

Materials:
1. Video
2. Computers and earphones
3. Video worksheets
Participants: up to 50 students

No. of hours: 0.5 hours

Mode of delivery: Video, worksheet

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
1. Start the session by distributing the worksheet for this activity. Instruct your 5 minutes
students to answer the question on the worksheet. Explain that you will
give the questions for the remaining spaces later.

Next, tell your students that they will be watching a short video about the
experiences of students from their school. Remind them to pay close
attention.
2. Instruct your students to click the provided link to play the video. Minimize 10 minutes
possible sources of distraction while they are watching (i.e. remind them to
put away their cellphones).
3. When the video is over, write the following questions on the board and 15 minutes
instruct your students to write their answers on the worksheet:

Question #2:
After watching the video, what are my thoughts and feelings now about
being a college student at [name of school]?

Question #3:
Out of the four students who were interviewed in the video, which one was
I able to relate to the most?

Question #4:
Imagine this scenario: You have now finished one year as a student here at
[name of school]. You are asked to write a letter to an incoming first-year
student about what to expect as a college student.

What would I write in my letter?

NOTE TO SSP-2 TO SSP-5 ADVISERS:

Change the wording of Question #4 to be appropriate to your students.

SSP-2 to SSP-3: “You are now a fourth-year student here at [name of school]. You
are asked to write a letter to an incoming first-year student about what to expect as
a college student.

SSP-4 to SSP-5: “You have just graduated from [name of school]. You are asked to
write a letter to an incoming first-year student about what to expect as a college
student.
4. Collect the completed worksheets.
Video worksheet

Name: _____________________ Date: ________________

Course/Year level: _____________________

Instructions: Answer the following question clearly and honestly. Don’t worry, there are no right
or wrong answers. Leave space for follow-up questions which your adviser will provide later.

1. How do I feel about being a college student here at [name of school]?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

3.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4. [You may use the back of this sheet or a separate piece of paper.]
 SESSION: Being A Supportive Peer Part I: Active Listening

Overview: The ability to listen is probably the most valuable skill in communication. When students
have problems, they often just need somebody to listen and hear them. But sometimes people only
listen to part of what is being said, and so misunderstand what the speaker is trying to communicate.
When that happens, the listener tends to make incorrect assumptions about what has been said, and
the speaker ends up feeling unheard.

Good listening skills are necessary in order to communicate the desire to help. It is important to teach
students the skill of active listening as part of building a supportive student community. Active listening
involves the ability to take in the whole message, accepting what is said without judging, and
understanding not only the words spoken, but also the feelings that underlie the words. Everyone can
listen, but active listening is a life-long skill that students can use as they go through college and beyond.

Goals: The aims of this session are:

1. To familiarize students with active listening

2. To practice active listening skills
3. To identify the barriers to effective listening.

Materials:

1. Marker
2. Handout (Active Listening)

Participants: up to 50 students

No. of hours: 1.5 hours

Mode of delivery: Brainstorming, experiential learning activity, short lecture, role-play

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
A. Brainstorming and discussion 25 minutes

1. Ask your students the following questions and instruct them to share their
answers out loud. You do not need to get an answer from EVERY member of the
class, but try to get at least 3-5 responses for each question. As your students say
their answers, record their responses on the board or manila paper.

1.1 Question #1: Think of the most recent time that you shared a secret or a
problem with another person. What was it about that person that made you
decide to talk to him/her?

Common answers might include:

 Approachable
  Kind
 Interested in what I have to say

1.2 Question #2: How do you feel when you have something to say, but are not
being listened to?

Common answers might include:

 Frustrated
 Angry
 Sad

1.3 Question #3: How do you know if someone is not listening to you? What are
the signs?

Common responses might be:

 Lack of eye contact
 Looking elsewhere – out the window, etc.
 Changing the subject of conversation
 Offering solutions without listening to the problem

1.4 Using their responses as a springboard, discuss the importance of being an

active listener. Distribute the handout on active listening (see SSP Handout: Active
Listening) and go over the definition of active listening and guidelines on how to
listen actively. Explain that both verbal (i.e. questions, jokes) and non-verbal (facial
expressions, body language) forms of communication are part of active listening.
Encourage them to develop verbal and non-verbal behaviors that are part of active
listening, such as the following:
VERBAL NON-VERBAL
 Ask questions  Stay silent at appropriate times
 Summarize what was said  Look at the person and use
 Make encouraging remarks like go appropriate eye contact (avoid
on, or oh no, etc. staring)
 Be aware of your responses. Make  Use encouraging facial expressions
sure you are not turning the - smiling, concern, interest,
conversation back to yourself. compassion, etc.
 Nod accordingly
 Adopt an open posture (avoid
folded arms and crossed legs)

[NOTE: These tips are summarized in the Active Listening handout. You can also
write the table on the board/manila paper.]

Remind them it is important to Listen and concentrate, rather than think about
how to respond.
B. Active Listening in Practice 40 minutes

1. Tell your students that they will now put their active listening skills into practice.
Give the following instructions:

1.1 Form triads by counting off from 1 to 3.

1.2 Tell your students that they will be doing three rounds of sharing and
listening. For every round, each group should have one speaker, one
listener, and one observer.
1.3 In the first round of the activity, tell your students to designate one speaker,
one listener, and one observer per group.
1.4 Instruct them to sit so that the triad members are facing each other.
1.5 In each round, the triad’s designated speaker should take a turn to talk for 5
minutes. The speaker can share his/her personal experiences focusing on
one of the topics suggested below:
o Most exciting experience so far in the school year.
o Most challenging experience so far in the school year.
o Most memorable experience so far in the school year.
1.6 While the speaker shares, the designated listener actively listens and tries to
use as many active listening skills as he/she can. The observer’s role is to see
if the listener is applying active listening skills. The observer can take notes
during this process.
1.7 When 5 minutes are up, the listener summarizes the conversation back to
the talker. The observer can take note of his/her perception of how well the
listener summarized the conversation.
1.8 After this has been done, each triad should swap roles such that the
designated speaker, listener, and observer is different. They will then do a
second round of sharing, following the same instructions as in the first
round. The new speaker will talk for 5 minutes (choosing from the same set
of topics), after which the new listener will summarize the conversation.
1.9 For the third round, each triad should swap roles again and then follow the
same process. Note that after three rounds, each student should have
experienced being a speaker, a listener, and an observer.
C. Processing 15 minutes

Process the activity by asking the following questions:

 How did you find this active listening exercise? Was it easy or difficult?
 How accurate were your summaries of each other’s sharing?
 As the listener, how do you feel after being so aware of your own thoughts
and behavior?
 What active listening skills do you need to practice more?

Guide your students to realize that active listening requires effort and practice to
develop. Remind them that it is worthwhile to develop this skill because it is
something they can use in many different situations throughout their lives.
D. Recap 10 minutes

You can conclude this section with final comments about the importance of
listening. Remind your students that even if listening seems simple, being listened
to can have a powerful effect on anyone.
HANDOUT: ACTIVE LISTENING

What is active listening? Active listening means being completely engaged in what the other
person is saying. It is a skill you can use when talking to someone who needs support with their
concerns—including personal, academic, financial, and other problems.

An active listener…

 shows interest in the conversation

 stays aware of the speaker’s feelings
 accepts what is said without judgment.

Why should I be an active listener?

 To make others feel that they are really being heard and understood
 To give support to someone who wants to talk about things on their mind.

How can I be an active listener? Read the tips below and practice them during your conversations:

L – Look interested. Look at the person speaking and make eye contact (but avoid staring!). Keep a relaxed
and open posture by avoiding crossed arms and legs.

I – Involve yourself by responding. Smile and nod in an encouraging way, or adopt a serious expression
depending on what the person is saying. You can also make remarks like “Go on” or ask short questions like
“And then…?” But be careful not to turn the conversation back to yourself.

S – Stay focused. Set aside possible distractions like gadgets. Try to set aside your own worries as well. Don’t
think too much about what you’re going to say next or how you’re going to solve the other person’s
problem—remember that you’re there to listen.

T – Test your understanding. From time to time, try to restate what was said in your own words to see if
you understood it correctly. If something is unclear to you, ask questions to clarify what the speaker meant.

E – Empathize. Pay attention to the feelings being expressed by the speaker, not just to the words being
used. Avoid assuming that they feel the same way you would if you were in their situation.

N – Never judge the person speaking. Respect the other person’s feelings, experiences and values,
even though they may be different from yours.
 SESSION: Being A Supportive Peer Part II: Using Your Words

Overview: Beyond active listening, students can also become better supporters to each other by
developing important communication skills such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking questions. By
using these skills appropriately, students affirm that they are listening and sincerely trying to understand
their peers. Students who use these skills also give their peers the opportunity to explore their own
issue or problem. This allows them to develop a better understanding of their own situation, form new
insights, and think more clearly about the actions they can take.

Goals: This session aims to help students understand and practice the use of paraphrasing, summarizing,
and questioning in the context of having supportive conversations with their peers.

[NOTE: This session is not intended as an academic lesson. Thus, advisers/facilitators do not have to use
terms like “paraphrasing” or discuss their technical definition.]

Materials:

1. Markers
2. Manila paper
3. Handout: “In your own words” (2 pages)
4. Handout: “Asking questions”
5. Handout: “Isang tanong, ilang sagot?”
6. Handout: “Asking questions: Practice”

Participants: 50 students

No. of hours: 160 minutes

Mode of delivery: Game, role-play, short discussion

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
A. 140 Characters or Less 30 minutes

1. Tell your students that they will be doing an activity called “I-Tweet Mo Yan”.
(NOTE: You can change the name of the activity if you think it is not appropriate
or understandable for the students—for example, you could call it “Twitter
Challenge”). In this activity, they will be given statements that they need to re-
word in 140 characters or less. They will be working in groups.

2. Instruct them to sit together in triads, staying with the same groups that they
formed in the “Active Listening” session. Tell them you will read aloud two
statements. Their task is to find a way to communicate the same message in
different words, using ONLY 140 characters or less. (Make sure it is clear that
the instructions are 140 characters, NOT 140 words.) Say that you will read
each statement aloud but you will NOT write it on the board, so they have to
 listen carefully. For each statement that you read aloud, you will give them 5
minutes to work on this task as a group. When the time is up, one member
from each group has to write their version of the statement on the board.

3. For this activity, they can use English, Filipino, Taglish, or any language that is
understood by most members of the class (i.e. Ilonggo). They can use
abbreviations and “text spelling” (i.e. “c” instead of “see”, “u” instead of
“you”). The only rules are that: (1) they should not use the same words as the
original statement, and (2) they should use 140 characters or less.

4. When the instructions are clear to the class, read aloud the statements
provided below. Give the class 5 minutes to re-state the message. Then, tell
them to write their re-statement on the manila paper. Go over their output and
point out the ones that were most successful at capturing the meaning of the
original statement in 140 characters or less and without using the original
words used.

#1: “Sampung taon ako at nasa elementarya pa lang ay nag-aalaga na ako ng

mga pamangkin – mula sa bagong panganak, sa pag-aalaga pag may sakit, sa
pagdalo sakanilang mga programa sa eskwelehan, sa kanilang unang
pagreregla, sa kanilang unang pagpapatuli, hanggang sa kanilang pagtatapos
mula elementarya hanggang kolehiyo.“

#2: “Tumanda na rin kami ng kapatid ko hanggang inabot ang puntong

nabuntis niya ang girlfriend niya. Gusto ng Tatay naming na pakasalan ng
kapatid ko ang kanyang nabuntis. Ako ang nagsalita. Sinabi kong ayaw kong
ipakasal ang kapatid ko sa maling kadahilanan. Gusto kong magsumikap ang
kapatid ko at ipakitang responsible na sya bago sya ikasal.“

[NOTE: These statements are excerpts from essays about Filipino families. SSP
advisers/facilitators can substitute other options such as quotes from songs,
movies, or stories/novels, as long as these are not too formal/academic. If you
are going to substitute something else, make sure it is longer than 140
characters.]

5. Process the activity by asking the class the following guide questions and calling
on students to share their answers:

 How easy/difficult did you find this activity?

 What were some of the challenges that you experienced in this activity?
 What “strategies” did your group use to do the task?

Some common answers might be that they found the activity difficult because
they had to listen carefully to the speaker, understand what he/she was
saying, and repeat the message in a more concise form. Using the discussion as
a springboard, explain that while listening is important, there are other ways
they can contribute supportively to a conversation with a peer.
6. Explain that they will learn about and practice three skills: saying it in their own
words, summing up, and asking questions
B. Discussion/lecture 20 minutes

Distribute the handout “In Your Own Words.” Go over Pages 1 and 2 of the
handout and discuss the skills described, which are “say it in your own words”
[paraphrasing] and “summing it up” [summarizing]. Go over the examples and
guidelines provided in the handout. Emphasize that the importance of using these
skills in a respectful manner: they should refrain from judging the other person
while applying these skills.
C. Role-play 30 minutes

1. Tell your students to practice these skills by doing a short role-play activity. Say
that they will be working in their triads again and that they should sit facing
each other. Instruct them to designate one person in each triad as Person A,
Person B, and Person C before the role-play starts.

2. Next, instruct them to turn to Page 3 of the handout. Tell them that they will
take their turns in role-playing the characters whose short dialogue is written
on the page. Clarify to your students that their genders do not have to match
those of their characters for the purpose of this activity. Make sure that they
understand that this is just an exercise and they are not expected to have
perfected this skill yet.

3. In each group, Person A will role-play “Alan” by reading the given dialogue.
His/her groupmates will respond by using “say it in your own words”. [7
minutes]

4. Next, Person B will role-play “Brian” by reading the given dialogue, and his/her
groupmates will again respond by using “say it in your own words”. [7 minutes]

5. Finally, Person C will role-play “Carol”, and his/her groupmates will respond by
using “sum it up”. [7 minutes]

6. After each round of the role-play activity has been done, process the activity by
asking the following questions:

 Was it difficult to use “say it in your own words”? How about “sum it up”?
 How well do you think you used these skills? Were you able to follow the
guidelines in the handout?
 How well do you think your groupmates used these skills? Were they able
to follow the guidelines?

Commend their efforts and remind them that these are skills they can develop
through more practice.
D. Isang Tanong, Ilang Sagot? 20 minutes
1. Tell them that they will do an activity called “Isang Tanong, Ilang Sagot?” There
is no need to form groups for this activity.

2. Instruct your students to imagine that they just met a new transferee student.
Their goal is to get to know the new student better by asking him/her questions.
Tell them to think of a question they would ask the new student. Call for
volunteers to say what question they would ask. As they speak, write each
question on the board. Continue until you have 10-15 questions on the board.
Some common questions they might say are “What is your name?”, “What school
did you transfer from?”, and “Why did you transfer to this school?”

3. Go over the questions one by one. For each question, ask your students if it can
be answered in one word or phrase (i.e. “yes” or “no”, or other relatively short
answers), or if it would elicit a longer answer.

4. After you have gone over all of the questions on the board, ask your students
which of these would be the most helpful to them getting to know a new student.
Use this discussion as a springboard to the next topic, which is “Asking
Questions”. Tell them that when they are talking to a peer who needs support,
they can use questions to deepen the conversation and help their peer clarify the
situation on their mind. Explain that the kinds of questions they ask can
contribute to their ability to support their peers.
E. Discussion/lecture 15 minutes

Distribute the handouts entitled “Asking Questions”. Remind students that the
context is having a supportive conversation with a peer—it is not an interview.
Go over the handouts, emphasizing the difference between “Isang tanong, isang
sagot” [closed questions] and “Isang tanong, maraming sagot” [open questions],
as well as the guidelines on asking questions.
F. Asking Questions: Practice 20 minutes

1. Tell your students that you will give them a short activity to practice developing
and asking different kinds of questions. Ask them to go back to their triads.

2. Distribute the handout “Asking Questions: Practice” and instruct them to write
examples of each kind of question (Isang tanong, isang sagot and Isang tanong,
maraming sagot) for the scenarios described in the handout. Remind them to
follow the guidelines that you discussed.
G. Sharing and processing 20 minutes

1. Call on each group to share at least one “Isang tanong, isang sagot” question
and at least one “Isang tanong, maraming sagot” that they generated. Write their
questions on the board or on a piece of manila paper. As you proceed, tell them
to avoid repeating questions that are already on the board.

2. When each group has contributed their questions, process the activity by
asking them the following questions:

 What kind of information can you get from asking “Isang tanong, isang sagot”
 questions? What can that contribute to a supportive conversation with a
peer?
 What kind of information can you get from asking “Isang tanong, maraming
sagot” questions? What can that contribute to a supportive conversation
with a peer?
 Which kind of question did you find more difficult to develop?

Guide them to realize that both kinds of questions are useful for different
purposes. Explain that they might find it difficult to think of open questions
(Isang tanong, maraming sagot), but that these are especially useful in a
conversation when a peer needs support because they prompt the other
person to explore his/her situation in different ways.
H. Recap 5 minutes

Recap the support skills that you discussed in this session: saying it in your own
words, summing it up, and asking questions. Ask students if there are any
particular skills they think they need to work on. Encourage them to practice
these skills in their conversations with friends, classmates, and even outside
school.

NOTE TO SSP-1 ADVISERS:

 The duration of this session will depend on the flow of the activities, especially the discussion-
based ones. Ideally, there should be enough time to do a Gratitude and Guidance Session after
these activities. However, if students have a lot to share during the discussions and/or role-play,
you can be flexible with the time allotments. Depending on the flow, you can decide whether or
not to do a Gratitude and Guidance Session after the activities.

NOTE TO SSP-2 TO SSP-5 ADVISERS:

 If you have limited time to implement this session, you can consider splitting it into 2 separate
sessions.
HANDOUT: In Your Own Words (page 1)

Listening is good, but the way we talk and the words we use can also improve the
support we give to our peers. This handout describes two helpful things we can do
when talking to a peer who needs support:
 Say it in your own words.
 Sum it up.

Say it in your own words

 This means repeating what someone else has just said , using your own
words.

Why “say it in your own words”?

 It combines thoughts, feelings, and/or actions to provide a clearer picture for
both the speaker and the listener.
 It shows the speaker that the listener is paying attention and making an effort to understand.
 It invites the speaker to explore further the situation that they are talking about.

Sample situation:
Your friend tells you about an argument he had
with his after his father refused to lend him money
for school expenses. As he describes his anger, his
eyes fill with tears.
“You are angry with your father for not giving you
the loan, and at the same time you are feeling
upset.”
In your own
words
[This includes the content (father would not lend
money), the verbalized feelings (anger), and the
nonverbal behavior (tears).

Sample situation:
Your classmate says, “I’m so confused. I just don’t In your own “I hear you say that you are unsure if you want to
know whether to transfer to that other course or words change course.”
carry on as I am.”

How can you “say it in your own words” in an effective way?

Start with phrases like: AVOID saying things like:

 “It sounds like you…”  “You’re not making yourself clear.”
 “You are telling me that…”  “You shouldn’t have done that.”
 “So, what you are saying is…”  “It’s not a big deal.”
 “If I understand correctly, you…”  “If I were you…”

It is important to be accurate. BUT you do not have to be one hundred percent sure
you’re right. Ask the other person to tell you if you understood correctly. This will give
you the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings on your part.
HANDOUT: In Your Own Words (page 2)

Summing it up
 This means pulling together the main points of a conversation and organizing them so that the
speaker can go over, confirm, or clarify misunderstandings.

Why sum it up?

 It can help focus scattered thoughts and feelings.
 It can be a way to check the listener’s understanding of the conversation.
 It can close the discussion of a particular theme.
 It can prompt the exploration of an idea more completely.
 It can encourage the speaker to begin to consider ways forward.

Example:_____________________________________________________________________________

In this response,
• "May I just check if I understood correctly? You’ve told me of a
the listener sums
few choices open to you. You could try to deal with
up what a peer has
procrastination yourself, make an appointment to meet with a
said and adds a
tutor, or join a study group. None of the options feel like a
question to help
perfect solution. What do you see as the advantages and
the peer move
disadvantages of each of these options?"
forward

How can I use “saying it in my own words” and “summing it up” effectively? Read the tips below and
practice them during your conversations:

S – Say it in a short and direct manner.

U – Use your own words. Avoid parroting or just repeating what the speaker said, word for word.

P – Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal expressions of feelings. Try to include both when you say it
in your own words or sum it up.

P – Put together the key ideas and feelings into broad statements of what the speaker said.

O – Offer your understanding in a tentative way. Give him/her the chance to clarify if you misunderstood
something.

R – Respect the speaker. Don’t judge, dismiss, or jump to assumptions.

T- Tune into the speaker’s language. You can use his/her exact words if it will help you describe an
event or a situation more accurately. (i.e. “argument” instead of “fight”).
HANDOUT: Asking Questions

Questions are an
important part of a
supportive
conversation.
However, they need to
be used appropriately
to be helpful.

Remember: When
asking questions during
a supportive
conversation, it is not
an interview!

How can I ask questions effectively?

 Ask questions that serve a purpose.
o to help the person get somewhere
o to gather information that is useful for the person
o to challenge the person to think about something.
 Take questioning slowly. Many people need to develop trust in order to feel comfortable with
sharing personal information.
 Do not ask too many questions. It can make a person feel “grilled”.

What should I avoid when asking questions?

Leading Assumes that you know the answer. “That’s hard for you, isn’t it? When will
questions you tell your parents?“
Why Can make you sound like you are questioning “Why isn’t this working for you? Why
questions their judgment do you not understand this?”
Intimate Too personal; focused on getting “chismis” “How many times did you ‘do it’ with
questions instead of moving the conversation forward. your boyfriend?”
HANDOUT: Isang Tanong, Ilang Sagot?

There are many kinds of questions. When supporting our peers, we can consider two kinds of questions:
“isang tanong, isang sagot” and “isang tanong, maraming sagot”.

Isang tanong, isang sagot

 Usually begin with verbs like do, did, does, can, will, etc.
 Can be answered with a one-word response like ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
 Helpful to check facts and to ask for clarification.
 Getting someone to focus on a particular issue.
 Lead to very little discussion.

Examples:

“Do you like your course in College?”

“You mentioned that you spend more time playing DOTA than going to classes. Is that a particular
problem for you?”

Isang tanong, maraming sagot

 Cannot be answered in one word; gets a longer, fuller response.

 Encourage people to explore their story.
 Helps gain more detail and understanding so the problem becomes clearer.
 Helps a person explain more about specific experiences, behaviors, and feelings.

Examples:
“What did you feel when ____ happened?” “How was that for you?”
“Tell me about…..”
“When you say the situation upsets you, what exactly do you do?”
“How do you feel about that?”
“What are your choices?” “How will that help you to…?”
HANDOUT: Asking Questions: Practice

Read the scenarios below. Write examples of each kind of question (Isang tanong, isang sagot and Isang
tanong, maraming sagot) for each scenario.

1. You are talking to a first year student who tells you that he is having relationship difficulties. He says
that he has been going out with his girlfriend for just over two years now, but recently feels that the
relationship is not going well. He explains that there was recently a death in his family, but he feels his
girlfriend was not helpful during this difficult period. Because of this, he is starting to question the value
of the relationship. He asks you for your advice about whether he should end the relationship or try to
work it out.

Your questions:
Isang tanong, isang sagot: Isang tanong, maraming sagot:

2. Your friend tells you that she is having trouble in Math class. She says she has fallen asleep many times
in the class, and that she has also had a couple of absences. She is a working student, and she says that
might be the reason she is so often tired and unable to put more effort into studying. She explains that
she can’t stop working because her parents’ income is not enough to pay her tuition and other school
expenses. She asks you what she can do about her situation.

Your questions:
Isang tanong, isang sagot: Isang tanong, maraming sagot:
 SESSION: Being A Supportive Peer Part III: Trust, Confidentiality, and Limitations

Overview: When supporting peers, especially close friends or long-time classmates, students may find it
difficult to distinguish their limitations. Some may feel it is their personal responsibility to “fix” all of
their friend’s problems, and then feel bad if they are not able to do so. Others may think that it is okay
to discuss a friend’s personal problems with others, not realizing that their friend might have their own
reasons for seeking privacy. A sound understanding of one’s limitations and issues of confidentiality can
help make students more effective in supporting each other.

Goals: The aims of this session are:

1. To clarify students’ role and limitations in supporting peers, and

2. To define confidentiality and provide guidelines for it in this context.

Materials:

1. Marker
2. Handout: Respecting Privacy and Confidentiality
3. Handout: Knowing Your Limitations

Participants: up to 50 students

No. of hours: 65 minutes

Mode of delivery: Brainstorming, experiential learning activity, short lecture

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
A. Refresher 5 minutes

Remind your students of the previous sessions on Being a Supportive Peer in

which they learned about active listening, saying it in their own words, summing
it up, and asking questions. Ask your students about the different contexts in
which they can use these skills. Students might say that they can use these skills
in conversations with family members, neighbors, friends, and so on. Affirm that
these skills can be helpful in their many roles and relationships, and then tell
them that the topics in this session will be particularly applicable to situations
when they are supporting their peers in school.
B. Trust Game 20 minutes

1. Tell your students that they will be playing a “Trust Game”. Instruct them to sit
in a circle. Explain to students that this is a serious exercise about trust and
remind them to follow the instructions.

2. Ask students to think of a secret that they have which they would not want
anyone else to know. Ask them to write this down on a small piece of paper, fold
it up and not show it to anyone.

3. Now ask students to pass their piece of paper with the secret in it to the person
to their left. Tell them not to look at the paper that is now in their hands.

4. Ask each person around the circle how they feel knowing their secret is in
someone else's hand. Some answers they might say are “scared” or “anxious”.
Write some responses on the board.

5. Next, ask each person in turn how it feels to have someone else's secret in their
possession. Some answers they might say are “tempting” or “big responsibility”.
Write some of their responses on the board.

6. Now ask students to give back the pieces of paper with the secret on them to
the person the secret belongs to. Once this is done, tell students that they can all
destroy their pieces of paper and relax! No-one has to share their secret (unless
they want to).

7. Commend them for trusting each other and for being trustworthy. Instruct
them to return to their regular seating arrangement.
C. Processing and discussion 30 minutes

1. Process the activity by asking your students the following questions:

 What did you learn about trust and confidentiality in this exercise?
 What do trust and confidentiality have to do with supporting your peers?
 Can you think of situations when confidentiality is especially important?
 Do you think there are any situations when it is ok to tell someone else
about personal problems that a peer shared with you?

2. Use students’ answers as a springboard for discussing the topic of trust,

confidentiality, and limitations. Remind students that trust is something you do,
not something you have. You have to earn and keep earning trust; and it can be
taken away at any time if you break someone's trust. Whoever you are, trust has
to be built and maintained in the context of supporting your peers.

Tell your students that knowing your limitations and respecting privacy and
confidentiality are part of building and maintaining trust.

3. Distribute the handout on “Respecting Privacy and Confidentiality” and discuss

each point. Explain that confidentiality means the commitment to keep all details
of a conversation or meeting private.

Emphasize some points that your students may have made during the previous
discussion: peers are more likely to talk about their problems and concerns if they
trust you to respect their privacy, but there may be times when confidentiality
needs to breached. Remind students the general rule is to maintain
confidentiality in all but exceptional cases – when a student may cause immediate
harm to him or herself or others.
4. Next, tell them that another very important element of supporting peers is
knowing their limitations. Distribute the handout “Knowing Your Limitations”. Go
over each item on the handout. Explain that setting limitations involves defining
our personal space, knowing our levels of comfort, and clarifying what we can
offer to others.

Tell your students that it is important to know their limitations when supporting
peers. Remind them that they need these limitations so they can be more
effective supporters, providing empathy without offering kinds of help that they
are not able to give.
D. Brainstorming 5 minutes

To get students to explore the concept of limitations further, ask them to think of
situations when a peer might come to them with a problem which they are not
able to help with. Ask them to write down on a piece of paper an example of a
situation/problem in which a peer needs help that they cannot personally
provide. Give them 5 minutes to write down their responses. Collect the pieces of
paper on which they wrote their responses. Tell them that they will be using
some of these examples for the next session.
E. Recap 5 minutes

Close the session by reminding them that they can earn each other’s trust if they
acknowledge their own limitations and respect each other’s privacy. Encourage
them to apply these ideas when peers rely on them for support.

[NOTE: This session should be followed immediately by the session on Being a

Supportive Peer IV: Referral. You can take a short (5-10 minutes) break if needed,
and then proceed to the session on referral.
HANDOUT: Respecting Privacy and Confidentiality

Trust is a key element of supportive relationships between peers. Remember that trust is something you
have to earn and keep earning.

How I should I deal with people when they reveal problems to me?

 Listen carefully. Your support and encouragement are important.

 Know your limits and boundaries. There are some situations you cannot (and should not) handle on
your own. (for example, when
your peer needs to borrow a
large amount of money).When
in doubt, refer your peers to a
more qualified source.
 Seek advice when needed. If a
peer asks for help with a
situation you cannot handle,
let him/her know you would
like to talk to a more
knowledgeable person before first. Talk to that person, and then get back to your peer as soon as
possible. Reassure the peer that you will maintain confidentiality unless you feel they are a threat to
themselves or another individual.

Should I always keep my peers’ problems a secret?

 The general rule is to maintain confidentiality in all but exceptional cases – when a person may
cause immediate harm to him or herself or others. If you cannot think of a clear, significant and
specific harm that would happen to your peer or others if you keep their secret, then do not break
confidentiality.
Example: A peer tells you that he is depressed and has been thinking about suicide.

 If you feel unsure, ask yourself the following questions:

o How serious is the situation?

o What significant risks does your peer face?
o Are his/her actions placing anyone at significant risk?
o What consequences (positive and negative) could breaking confidentiality have?
o What significant harm (to your peer, other people and yourself) could result from NOT
breaking their confidence?

How can I break confidentiality without causing harm?

 If you have good reasons to break confidentiality, try to limit its negative effects by:
• Explaining to your peer the reason/s you are breaking confidentiality
• Telling your peer who you will tell and what they are likely to do with the information.
HANDOUT: Knowing Your Limitations

Does being a supportive peer mean that I should be able to solve my friends’
problems?
 NO. All of us have limitations, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Knowing our
limitations and being honest about them can actually make us more effective at
helping others.

How can I help my peers without going beyond my limitations?

Here are some tips about knowing your limitations:

 Be clear about your own knowledge and experiences. If your peer asks for advice
about something you don’t know a lot about, be honest about it. Assure your peer
that even if you probably won’t be able to give advice, you are there to listen.
 Be mindful and respectful of diversity. Remember that you and your peers have
differences—for example, you might not belong to the same religion, or your families
might be very different—and you might not be able to relate to them right away. Be
honest about it and make a sincere effort to understand where your peers are
coming from.
 Get help and ask for advice if you are feeling overwhelmed. If a peer asks for advice
about a situation that you are not equipped to handle, let him/her know that you
would like to talk to a more knowledgeable person before giving any advice. Talk to
that person, then get back to your peer as soon as possible.
 Refer your peer to professional help/college staff, if needed.
 Remember: you are not personally responsible for “fixing” other people’s
problems.
 SESSION: Being A Supportive Peer Part IV: Referral

[NOTE TO SSP ADVISERS: This session should follow the session on Trust, Confidentiality, and Limitations.
Before this session starts, you should have collected pieces of paper on which your students wrote
examples of situations when they have limitations in helping their peers. If you gave your students a break,
you can take that time to go over these scenarios and select three different ones that you can share with
the class. As much as possible, choose scenarios that are somewhat realistic (i.e., scenarios that a student at
your school might actually experience] and that would be handled best by a knowledgeable, trained adult
(i.e. a classmate confides that she is pregnant; a friend says that he has problems with alcohol/drugs).

Overview: When supporting peers, students may sometimes come across situations when the problem is
too close to their own experience, when they feel out of their depth, or when the issues require
professional involvement and support. Often the best support they can provide is genuine concern, a
listening ear and a referral to specialist help. Students need to understand the variety of situations that
require the involvement of other people, as well as feel able to help a peer access help.

A young person who refers a friend to others may feel that they have failed in their role. However, this is
not the case at all! It is important to explain to students that part of being an effective supporter is the
ability to identify a problem and find the appropriate support. It is always better to refer, than to take on
problems or issues that are ‘over your head’. The key message is if in doubt, refer.

Students may also find it helpful to have a discussion about dealing with extreme situations. For
example, college students may come across peers who express feelings such as severe distress or the
intention to harm themselves or other people. We should equip students with the ability to respond in a
concerned, calm and sensitive manner, so that we increase the possibility that sources of help will be
identified for upset students.

If students become distressed and uncomfortable with other people’s problems, it is essential that they
seek immediate support for themselves. Professionals can support and advise them on making the best
decisions.

Goals: The aim of this session is to ensure that students understand:

1. what a referral is
2. the range of issues and situations that call for referral
3. where they can refer peers to.

Materials:

1. Handout on Referrals: What, Where, When and How

Participants: up to 50 students

No. of hours: 70 minutes

Mode of delivery: Brainstorming, experiential learning activity, short lecture

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
A. Brainstorming and discussion 15 minutes

1. After the session on confidentiality and limitations, tell your students that just
because there are limits to the kind of help they can give to their peers does not
mean they should leave their peers without the help they need. Say that in this
session, they will learn about referral and explore the kinds of situations when
referral is needed.

2. Get the papers on which your students wrote examples of situations when a
peer has a problem that they cannot help with. Tell them that you will share
three of these to the class.

3. Read each of the three scenarios out loud. After each scenario, ask the
following questions and call on volunteers to share their answers:
 What would be your limitations in this situation?
 What would you say to your peer in this scenario?

4. Use their answers as a springboard to discuss the concept of referral. Tell your
students that even though they might want to think that they can give their
friends all the help they need, the reality is that we all have limitations that
determine the kind and amount of help we can give. Remind your students that
they are not alone and that there are many people in the school and outside who
are there to support and help. Explain that being able to convince a friend to seek
support from people who can help them is a big contribution.
Discussion/lecture 20 minutes

Distribute the handouts on Referrals: What, When, Where, and How. Go over
each point. For the part on “Places to Refer a Student in College”, write the
names and contact information of the respective point persons on the board and
instruct students to write them down on the handout.
B. Scripting activity 30 minutes
1. Tell your students that they will do a short activity to see how they can apply
what they learned about referral. Ask them to form triads again (based on their
previous grouping).

Tell them that you will again read aloud the scenarios about limitations that you
chose and read at the start of the session. This time, their task is to develop a
“script” of how they would use referral in that situation. Remind them to use the
guidelines provided in the handout.
2. Read aloud the scenarios. After each scenario, give your students 5 minutes to
think about how they would respond and how they would use referral. Instruct
them to write down their answers.

3. After repeating this process with the three scenarios you read aloud, tell them
to share their answers to each scenario. Call on each group to share one answer.
C. Recap 5 minutes
Close the session by recapping them about the value of referral. Remind them
that it is part of the set of skills they have learned for being a supportive peer, and
that its use depends on the situation.
HANDOUT: REFERRALS: What, When, Where, and How

Making a referral is helping someone access other sources of support

Make a referral when:

• A peer asks for help with a problem that requires a specialist’s help (see below)
• You are not sure if you can be genuine, honest and impartial (for example, because you are
personally involved in the situation or have experienced something similar)
• You are worried that the person might come to harm or get into deeper problems

IF IN DOUBT, YOU SHOULD REFER

Problems that always call for specialist help
 Family difficulties
 Legal problems
 Serious medical problems
 Alcoholism/drug problems
 Unresolved grief
 Extreme stress, anxiety, or panic
 Depression and/or suicidal thoughts

Referral depends on the kind of problem your peer has.

Places to Refer a Student in College

Academic problems Program head/Dean

(i.e. failed exams, difficulty with a Point person: ________________

subject, concerns about course) Contact details: _______________
 Center for Student Development and
Financial problems[[
Leadership (CSDL)
(i.e. difficulty paying tuition and/or
Point person: ________________
other expenses)
Contact details: _______________

Personal problems Guidance Office

(i.e. family problems, relationship Point person: ________________

problems, psychological problems)
Contact details: _______________

Your peer is more likely to listen if you make the referral in a respectful and supportive way. The
guidelines below describe how to do that:

 Know what the problem is before you can refer. Don’t make assumptions.

 Choose your words carefully. Use phrases like:

o “You might like to talk with… “
o “Would you consider talking with… “
o “I think it might be helpful for you to… “

 Do not say, “You need to see…” or “You must talk to… “. You are not giving orders, you are providing
support.

 Be honest. Tell the person why someone else might be better help at that moment
o “I’m sorry but I don’t really know much about _______. Maybe you could talk to
_______ instead?”

 Continue to be supportive by keeping in touch and asking how things are going.
 Session Guide: Gratitude and Guidance Session

Overview: College students do not always know where they can turn if they have something they want
to talk about—academic concerns, personal problems, difficult decisions, or just things on their mind
that they want to share with others. The Gratitude and Guidance session gives SSP advisers time to sit
down and talk to his/her students, ask them how they are doing, and provide support if needed. The
session is structured to elicit sharing of things that students are grateful for as well as things they need
guidance about. This is based on research that shows that gratitude is significantly associated with
students’ persistence and success in school1, optimism for the future, and overall well-being2.

NOTE: The goals and process of this activity are connected with those of the sessions on Being a
Supportive Peer (Active Listening; Using Your Words; Trust, Confidentiality, and Limitations; and
Referral). To encourage students to apply the skills they learn in those sessions, the suggested procedure
is to hold Gratitude and Guidance Sessions after the completion of each Being a Supportive Peer
Sessions (which take approximately 1.5-2 hours each). A sample of how this could be scheduled would
be:

Target Schedule Session/s

SSP-1 Session #5 Being a Supportive Peer Part I: Active Listening
+
Gratitude and Guidance Session
SSP-1 Session #6 Being a Supportive Peer Part II: Using Your Words
+
Gratitude and Guidance Session
SSP-1 Session #7 Being a Supportive Peer Part III: Trust,
Confidentiality, and Limitations
+
Being a Supportive Peer Part IV: Referral
+
Gratitude and Guidance Session

However, if this is not feasible in terms of scheduling (especially in the case of 2nd year students and
above), SSP advisers can hold Gratitude and Guidance sessions separately.

Goals: This session aims to:

1. Provide an opportunity for students to reflect on and share with others their experiences of
gratitude
2. Provide an opportunity for students to talk to each other and to their SSP adviser about
concerns that they may need help with.

1
http://csr.sagepub.com/content/16/3/325.full.pdf+html
2
http://www.breakthroughealing.org/Documents/GratitudeStudy2003.pdf
Materials:

1. Gratitude and Guidance Session form (3 pages)

2. Manila paper (10 pieces)

Participants: up to 50 students

No. of hours: variable

Mode of delivery: informal small group discussions

Procedure and Time Allotment:

Activity Time
A. Faces Survey 5-10 minutes

1. Start the session by announcing that you will do a quick survey of how your
students are doing. Distribute the Gratitude and Guidance Session forms and
instruct your students to look at Page 1, which contains the “Faces Scale”.

2. Go over each item (1-5). For each item, ask for a show of hands—for example,
for item #1, ask “Which face comes closest to how you feel this afternoon?” and
then ask students to raise their hands if their answer is 1, then 2, then 3, and so
on.

As students raise their hands, you can take the time to ask some students to
explain their responses, especially if there are noteworthy patterns (for instance,
if many students raise their hands for numbers corresponding to sadder “faces”,
i.e. numbers 5-7). Call on volunteers—not all students have to explain. If there are
time constraints, you do not need to ask for explanations.

3. You can end the quick survey by briefly describing your observations (i.e. “It
seems like many of the people in this class are feeling good about their family
life” or “I noticed many of your answers showed that you are not feeling so good
about your academic life.” Reassure your students that they will have more time
to share the reasons for their answers later.
B. Gratitude and Guidance Writing 15-20 minutes

1. Now, instruct students to turn to Page 2 of the Gratitude and Guidance Session
forms. Tell them to fill up the information at the top of the sheet (name,
year/course, etc.), and then say that you will guide them through the questions.

2. Instruct students to reflect on Question #1: What have you been thankful for
this past week? Clarify that they can consider events, things, people, etc. that
they were grateful for. Tell them to write their answers in the table provided
(Row 2), using the given categories (Academic, Financial, and Personal). Clarify
that concerns about family, friendships, love life, health all fall under the
“Personal” category. Also, explain that they do not need to write something
under each category—if their responses only fall under one or two categories,
that is perfectly fine.
3. Next, instruct them to reflect on Question #2: What challenges have you
encountered this past week that you want to talk about, and/or need guidance
with? Tell them to their answers on in the table provided (Row 3). Again, clarify
that they do not need to write something under each category.

4. Next, instruct them to reflect on Question #3: What are the steps you can take
to resolve the challenges you encountered? Tell them to write their answers on
the table provided (page 3 of the form).

5. Instruct them to reflect on Question # 4: When can you take these steps to
resolve your challenges? Tell them to write their answers on the table provided
(last row; page 3 of the form)
C. Group sharing 30 minutes

1. Announce that they will now take some time to share with each other the
answers they wrote. Instruct the class to form groups of 5 members each, going
back to the groupings they had for the Lifemap session. Tell them to sit in circles
so that in each group, the members are facing each other. If some groups are
missing one or more members, take note of the missing students so you can set
aside time to talk to them in a different session, but do not change the groupings.

2. Instruct your students to choose one facilitator per group. Explain that the role
of the facilitator is to lead the group sharing and make sure that each person gets
to speak. At the same time, the facilitator should also share his/her answers.
Instruct the facilitators to go over each question on the form and take time for
the group to share and listen to each other’s answers. Remind your students (not
just the facilitator) to apply what they have learned in Being a Supportive Peer
sessions (active listening, asking questions, confidentiality, etc). Explain that you
will also participate in the sharing, but will be moving from group to group.

[NOTE: Because Gratitude and Guidance Sessions will probably be held more than
once, ensure that the groups do not always designate the same person as the
facilitator.]

Clarify that they should follow the sequence of the guide questions (1-4). They
can also ask each other follow-up questions if there are things they want to
clarify. Tell them they can also change the answers they wrote on their sheets if
they have any realizations as the sharing progresses.

3. As your students go through the sharing activity, go around the room and join
one group at a time. Stay with each group for 5-10 minutes. As you join each
group, try not to disrupt their sharing. Listen carefully to whoever is speaking. To
help students feel comfortable, you are encouraged to share your own answers
to the questions they are discussing. However, keep in mind your boundaries:
only share what you are comfortable talking about with students, and be careful
not to dominate the sharing.

You can also help the facilitator by doing the following:

 Observe if some students do not respond and gently prompting to
make sure they participate.
 Ask for elaboration of vague responses (for example, if a student says
“It’s difficult”, ask them “Can you tell us more about what you find
difficult?”
 If there are any students who hesitate to talk, ask if they would prefer
to talk to you in private. Note the names of students who express this
preference so that you can schedule one-on-one sessions with them
during your consultation hours.
D. Key points 10 minutes
Instruct the groups to summarize their sharing by writing the key points on a
piece of manila paper. Explain that they can emphasize similarities (answers that
most students shared), and can also include unique answers.
E. Plenary 20-30 minutes
Plenary: Call on the designated facilitators to show and explain the summary on
their manila paper to the rest of the class. Tell them that they only have 2-3
minutes each to “report”, so they should be concise.
F. Closing 5 minutes
Close the session by commending your students for doing the session in a
supportive manner. Tell them to make sure that they have signed on the
designated space and that their adviser or the facilitator of the group was able to
sign on the designated space. Say that their signatures on their worksheets signify
their commitment to act on the steps they can take to resolve their challenges,
and encourage them to do so within the timeframe they set for themselves.

Additional guidelines for SSP advisers:

 Allow students to take time to think before they write their answers on the form.
 Practice active listening and support skills. Each student should feel that you and their peers are
listening and making an effort to understand.
 Encourage students to talk to each other and not just to you.
 As students discuss the steps they can take to resolve their challenges, encourage students to
consider resources within the school that they can utilize (i.e. offices, organizations, specific
persons).
 Respect students’ boundaries and need for privacy. If a student refuses to talk about his/her
problems and concerns, do not force him/her to do so. Offer to set a one-on-one consultation
session instead.
 Keep your own boundaries and limitations in mind. If a student shares problems that are too
complicated or personal for you to take on (for example, family problems, mental health issues),
refer him/her to the Guidance office.
 <School>
PHINMA Education
Gratitude and Guidance Session: Page 1

The following questions are about how you feel about different aspects of your life. Answer as honestly as
you can. Remember that there are no right or wrong answers.

1. Which face comes closest to how you feel this morning/afternoon?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2. Which face comes closest to how you feel about your school life?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3. Which face comes closest to how you feel about your family life?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4. Which face comes closest to how you feel about your love life?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5. Which face comes closest to how you feel about life as a whole?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 <School>
PHINMA Education
Gratitude and Guidance Session: Page 2

Name: ________________________ Year/Course:______________ Date: _______________ Adviser’s Name: __________________

Read each question below and reflect on your answers. When you are ready, write your answers on the spaces provided in the
table.

Question #1: What have you been thankful for this past week?

Question #2: What challenges have you encountered this past week that you want to talk about, and/or need guidance with?

Question #3: What are the steps you can take to resolve the challenges you encountered?

Question #4: When can you take these steps to resolve your challenges?

Academic Financial Personal (family, friends, love life,

health, etc.)
Over this past [Write your answers to Question #1 here] [Write your answers to Question #1 here] [Write your answers to Question #1 here]
week, I have
been thankful
for…

Over this past [Write your answers to Question #2 here] [Write your answers to Question #2 here] [Write your answers to Question #2 here]
week, I have
been
challenged
by…
 <School>
PHINMA Education
Gratitude and Guidance Session: Page 3

Academic Financial Personal (family, friends, love life,

health, etc.)
To resolve the [Write your answers to Question #3 here] [Write your answers to Question #3 here] [Write your answers to Question #3 here]
challenges I
encountered, I
can…

I plan to take the [Write your answers to Question #4 here] [Write your answers to Question #4 here] [Write your answers to Question #4 here]
steps I listed
above on…
(indicate WHEN
you plan to take
actions)

________________________________
Student’s Signature over Printed Name

________________________________
Adviser or Group Facilitator’s Signature over Printed Name
Guidelines on Monitoring and Mentoring (M and M) Meetings

Contents:

I. What are Monitoring and Mentoring Meetings for?

II. Setting the tone: What to say at the start of the semester
III. Identifying at-risk students
IV. Initiating a Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting
V. The Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting process
VI. Follow-up

Appendix: Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting Form

 I. What are Monitoring and Mentoring Meetings for?

Consultation between teachers and students is part of the

learning process in college. Students know that they can set a “At-risk students, especially,
are in need of an awakening, or
consultation with a teacher if they need help with a topic, if
a rousing, to help them
they feel they are falling behind and want to know what they determine they have the ability
can do to catch up, or even if they want to discuss personal to act and understand the
concerns that may be affecting their academic performance. structures in which they are
acting.”
Research shows this is beneficial because teacher-student
- Craig Vivian, “Advising
contact beyond the classroom is an important factor in the At-Risk College
increasing student motivation and improving retention.3 This Student”
is particularly true for students who are at risk of dropping
out.

In practice, students are often reluctant to approach their teacher and request a consultation. Some
students think that will be seen as a sign of weakness or incapability on their part. Others may be
worried about being punished for not understanding a topic or lesson.

Instead of waiting for students to request a consultation, teachers can be more pro-active and initiate
meetings with students who seem to be struggling in their class. This is what we call a Monitoring and
Mentoring (or M and M) Meeting. The goal of these meetings is for teachers to:

- Guide students in identifying the reasons for their academic difficulties

- Help students understand the college environment, including the expectations teachers have of
them and the resources available to them
- Help students find effective solutions.

By initiating meetings and using them to talk to students in a supportive manner, teachers can “catch”
at-risk students and help them decide on the actions they can take—whether these are one-on-one
discussions of particular topics outside of class, referrals to student support services, or other available
means. This process help change students’ misconceptions, showing them that their teachers are
actually open to answering questions and making them more likely to initiate consultation themselves.
Through Monitoring and Mentoring Meetings, teachers can help students maximize the resources that
are available in our schools to help them succeed in college.

3
Source: http://academics.uky.edu/uge/ias/provosts%20retention%20group%20information/tintoretention-
whatnext.pdf
 II. Setting the tone: What to say at the start of the semester

As early as the start of each semester, teachers can set the tone by explaining that teacher-student
discussions outside the classroom—whether in the form of student-initiated consultations or teacher-
initiated M and M meetings—are an expected part of the school’s system. This can be done through the
following:

1. Announce consultation hours at the start of the semester

On the first day of class, teachers should

 Clearly announce their consultation hours and where they can be found during those hours. [NOTE:
Even though these are already indicated in their syllabus, it is important to emphasize this
information on the first day of class].
 Explain to students that they can come for a consultation for any questions or concerns that are
related to their learning and performance in the class. These can include questions about previous
or current lessons, concerns about exams and other requirements, and others.
 Encourage students to think of consultation hours as a resource that they can utilize if they think
they need to.

2. Mention the possibility of teacher-initiated Monitoring and Mentoring Meetings

Teachers should also inform students on the first day of class about M and M meetings:

 Say that there may be times when s/he will call on a student to come to her/his office for a
Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting. Explain that this is a way of finding out how students are
doing.
 Explain that if a student is called for an M and M meeting, this does not mean that they will be
punished or that they have done something wrong, It simply means that the teacher would like to
have a conversation with the student.
 III. Identifying at-risk students

“The responses of at-risk

At-risk students are those who have a higher likelihood of not students to the social, cultural,
passing their classes and/or dropping out. These students may financial,and intellectual stressors
they face in college often are
be at risk for various reasons. It is tempting to assume that they
perceived as passivity and apathy
are simply “lazy” or “slow”, but always remember that there are by faculty members who have
many factors that can be hindering them from succeeding in little understanding of the
class, such as financial problems, family issues, or psychosocial circumstances confronting these
students”.
concerns. While we cannot easily see these underlying reasons,
- Craig Vivian, “Advising
we can make an effort to find out more about our at-risk the At-Risk College
students. But first, we need a reliable way to identify who our at- Student”
risk students are.

This section describes several indicators that teachers can use to help identify students who are at-risk
for dropping out or not passing.

Teachers should initiate Monitoring and Mentoring Meetings with students who meet at least one of
the criteria listed below:

 Absenteeism
o Students who have incurred 2 consecutive absences, or
o Students who have incurred a total of 3 absences (non-consecutive)

 Failing grades
o Students who have failed at least 1 exam or 1 quiz in their class.

 No exam permits (particularly for 1st Periodical Exam)

o Students without exam permits (may be a sign of financial difficulty, which is a risk factor).
 IV. Initiating a Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting

Once an at-risk student has been identified, the next step is to initiate an M and M meeting with
him/her. When doing so, always keep in mind that the intention is not to punish the student, but to work
with him/her in finding ways to help him/her succeed in school. This means that students should be
called to the meeting in a manner that does not come across as threatening or humiliating to the
student.

Teachers can initiate a meeting with an at-risk student through various means, including during
classroom time and through texting/calling.

Teacher obtains students’ contact

Student is at-risk
number/s from AIMS/directory
due to absenteeism

Teacher sends student a text message

using the following template: “Good day,
this is [name of teacher] from [name of
school]. I am concerned about your
attendance in our class. Can we set an M
and M meeting at [date and time that
fits teacher’s consultation hours]?

Teacher finalizes schedule of M and M

meeting—the sooner, the better—
based on student’s response.
 Teacher calls student’s name at the start
Student is at-risk
of the class or towards the end of the
due to failing grades
class and say “I would like to have a
quick talk with you at the end of class.
Please come up to me before you leave
the class. Thank you.” Alternatively,
teacher can come up to the student
during in-class tasks (if any) and quietly
say “I would like to have a quick talk
with you at the end of class. Please come
up to me before you leave the class.
Thank you.”

When student approaches teacher at

the end of the class, teacher says in non-
threatening manner “I just wanted to
have a chat with you about how you’re
doing. Let’s set an M and M meeting
during my consultation hours.”

Teacher and student agree on a

schedule for the meeting—the sooner,
the better. Teacher should ensure that
he schedule and venue of the meeting is
made very clear. Teacher gives student a
written reminder of the meeting (a
handwritten note should suffice).
 Teacher calls student’s name at the
Student is at-risk start of the class or towards the end of
due to exam the class and say “I would like to have a
permits quick talk with you at the end of class.
Please come up to me before you leave
the class. Thank you.”

When student approaches teacher at

the end of the class, teacher says in non-
threatening manner “I just wanted to
have a chat with you about how you’re
doing. Let’s set an M and M meeting
during my consultation hours.”

Teacher and student agree on a

schedule for the meeting—the sooner,
the better. Teacher should ensure that
he schedule and venue of the meeting is
made very clear. Teacher gives student a
written reminder of the meeting (a
handwritten note should suffice).
 V. The Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting process

The main goals of the M and M meeting are: “Good mentoring should
give students opportunities to
 to alert the student that they are at risk of not passing the understand their current
class, positions, reflect on present and
future actions, and make sound
 to help the student identify the possible reasons, and choices throughout their lives.”
 to guide the student towards deciding on solutions.
- Craig Vivian, “Advising
the At-Risk College
Student”
To ensure that these goals are met, teachers should follow the process described in this section. This
includes documenting the meeting in a Monitoring and Meeting form (see Appendix). Basically, the M
and M meeting should follow the three stages described below:

1. Start of the meeting

2. Guidance in discussing the situation
3. Wrapping up the meeting

The steps of each stage are outlined below:

Ask the student how he/she is doing.

Try to put the student at ease by asking about general things
Examples:
"How are you finding college life?" for freshmen
"How are you finding your current subjects?" for 2nd year and higher
1. Start of meeting

Explain that you called this meeting because of concerns about how they are
doing in class. Specify the reason you feel concerned.
Examples:
“I wanted to talk to you because you have failed an exam.”
“I wanted to talk to you because you have been absent 3 times.”

Reassure the student that our goal is for all students to succeed in school. Say that
as their teacher,you want to help them find ways to do that.

(continued on next page)

 Ask the student what they think is causing the problems you pointed out.
Example: Why do you think you failed the exam?
Encourage the student to speculate or explore possible reasons. Listen to the
student without judgment. Note the student’s answers on the M and M form.

Student identifies Student identifies

difficulties with Student identifies personal / family
understanding financial concerns concerns affecting
2. Guidance in discussing the situation

lessons/topics affecting academic academic

performance performance

Option A: Tell the

student he/she can
Tell the student to go Tell the student that
schedule
consultations with to the CSDL office to there are many
you. Discuss one ask for help such as people in school who
topic with them. information on are there to help
Give them a sample scholarships. Let them. Tell them that
task related to that them know that you they can approach a
topic and guide the will inform the CSDL peer supporters
student through the
office. group (if applicable)
steps of solving it,
explaining the or a guidance
process as clearly as counselor for help. If
possible. the student shows
signs of distress, offer
OR to accompany them
to the guidance office.
Option B: Suggest
that he/she
approach
appropriate student
organizations for
:
tutoring.

(continued on next page)

 Work with the student to set a clear plan of action. Note the student’s plan on
the M and M form.

Student identified Student identified

Student identified
difficulties with personal / family
financial concerns
understanding concerns affecting
affecting academic
lessons/topics academic
performance
performance

Suggest setting
Tell the student to set Tell the student to set
weekly
a day and time when a day and time when
consultations with
they will go to the they will go to the
3. Wrapping up the meeting

you or regular
CSDL office. Guide Guidance office or peer
tutorials with
them to select a supporters group.
organizations (if
schedule that is no Guide them to select a
available). Establish
more than one week schedule that is no
a schedule.
after your meeting. more than one week
after your meeting.

Set a goal (i.e. a

specific score on
their next quiz or
exam). Make sure
the goal is both
realistic (i.e. don’t
insist on a perfect
score)and
challenging (i.e.
more than passing).

Ask the student how they feel. Ask them if there is anything else they want to talk about.

Reiterate your assurance of support for the student. Schedule a follow-up meeting with the
student within the next two to four weeks.

Get the student to sign the M and M form with your notes from the meeting. Keep the
form in a secure location.
 VI. Follow-up

It is important to check in with your student after the M and M meeting to discuss developments in
his/her situation. The following outlines the process of holding a follow-up meeting with the student:

Remind the student of their agreed-upon schedule a few days before. The reminder
Before the follow-up

can be in-person or through text.

meeting

Look over the student’s records in class. Note if there have been any changes in
academic performance and attendance. Review the M and M form to help recall the
student’s situation and plan of action.

Ask the student how he/she is doing now.

During the follow-up
meeting

Ask if the student was able to follow the plan of action or goal that was set in the
initial meeting.

 If yes, affirm the student’s efforts. Ask if it has addressed the concerns that were
identified in your initial meeting.
 If not, ask the student why. Remind the student that following this plan could help
him/her do better in college. Come up with a new plan and ask the student to commit
to it.

Make a decision with the student if they need to hold regular consultation sessions
follow-up meeting

onwards  particularly applicable if student is at-risk because of academic reasons.

Wrapping up the

Regular consultation sessions should focus on helping the student understand

important lessons/topics. Consider the option of group consultations if there are other
students with similar needs.

Reassure the student that his/her continued efforts will help them succeed in class.
 APPENDIX: MONITORING AND MENTORING FORM

<School>
PHINMA Education
Monitoring and Mentoring Meeting Form

Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________________________________

Year/Course: ______________________________ Time: ___________________________________

Subject Code/Title: _____________________________________________________________

Focus of Meeting:

_____ Attendance _____ Completion of Tasks _____ Enhancement

_____ Classroom Behavior _____ Grades _____ Others

Brief Description of the Focus of Today’s Meeting:

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Reasons Identified for the Concerns Described:

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Agreement/s:
Action(s) to be taken Date

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Student’s Signature over Printed Name Teacher’s Signature over Printed Name