SCHOOL SUCCESS 101 – SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Mike Swords Office phone: 803.732.9226
32 Saint Albans Road Office hours: 11AM – 5PM, M-F
Irmo, SC 29063 e-mail: mswords@school-success.net
COURSE COMPONENTS
This course consists of 2 phases: 1.) the course - 6 lessons, and an assessment; and 2.) an
application phase ("Eating your problem course for breakfast before it eats you for lunch").
Also included for the price of tuition are helps for identifying possible causes for academic
struggles and learning disorders. Finally, I provide on-going support in the form of my
responses to your questions via e-mail or phone calls.
Phase 1: The Course:
1. Introductory lesson: The connection between our dreams and school success (relevancy
of different school courses for life and career)
2. Reading for main ideas, picking out topic sentences, and taking notes on reading (or using
highlighters) to aid in review and memorization
3. How memory (and memorization) works
4. Taking notes on class discussion or lectures
5. Test-taking strategies
6. Time management
Assessment of course knowledge (an evaluation in the form of a questionnaire)
Phase 2: Application: "Eating your problem course for breakfast before it eats you for lunch"
This component includes a checklist of impediments to learning, and other information
meant to help identify causes of academic struggles and learning disorders. I also give
recommendations to you as to how you can best help your child recall and utilize the course
knowledge and skills to pursue success, and how you can work with the school to ensure
that your son or daughter is applying the knowledge and skills during the school year.
On-going support:
I will also provide on-going support in the future as you attempt to address other
impediments to learning which may be disrupting your child’s success. You have merely to
e-mail me or phone my office with your questions or concerns. If I cannot help you from my
own stock of experience or professional knowledge, I will try to refer you to someone who
can.
MATERIALS NEEDED
The following materials will be needed for the course, and/or in school:
Pen or pencil
A 3-ring binder
1 pack of blank notebook paper
3-hole or 1-hole punch
1 pack of 3x5 cards
Highlighters (yellow, orange, and green)
SUGGESTION FOR SHORT-TERM MOTIVATION
You may wish to motivate your child to apply him/herself by offering a gift card to their
favorite store or restaurant (any denomination--$5, 10, etc.), if they achieve a 100% on the
assessment. I will meanwhile work on increasing their motivation for the long term via
lessons that will aid their success (which increases motivation).
Remember that success in this course could spell success for the rest of their academic career,
and beyond.
AFTER THE COURSE
Please feel free to call or e-mail me if you have on-going concerns.
I am developing some other on-line courses to provide help with history and other social
studies courses, called “I hate history,” “I hate geography,” etc.
For older students (high school seniors, rising seniors, recent graduates), I am developing a
course called Life 101. I expect to include topics such as:
Managing money (drawing on my seven years in the financial services business)
budgeting
handling credit
debt elimination
investing for retirement & other goals
insurance
estate planning
Career decisions
college major
job search
starting your own business
Making decisions when experts give conflicting advice (medical, financial, and more)
Relationships
getting along with others
dealing with conflict
dating (I believe in abstinence before marriage)
preparing for marriage
preparing for parenthood
And more….
I am planning on offering Life 101 in an on-line version, and perhaps in a workshop version.
I may do the same for the social studies courses. Once the courses are developed, I may be
available to speak on these topics at schools, churches, civic organizations, or other public
forums.
INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Mike Swords Office phone: 803.732.9226
32 Saint Albans Road Office hours: 11AM – 5PM, M-F
Irmo, SC 29063 e-mail: mswords@school-success.net
COURSE COMPONENTS
This course consists of 2 phases: 1.) the course - 6 lessons, and an assessment; and 2.) an
application phase ("Eating your problem course for breakfast before it eats you for lunch").
Also included for the price of tuition are helps for identifying possible causes for academic
struggles and learning disorders. Finally, I provide on-going support in the form of my
responses to your questions via e-mail or phone calls.
Phase 1: The Course:
1. Introductory lesson: The connection between our dreams and school success (relevancy
of different school courses for life and career)
2. Reading for main ideas, picking out topic sentences, and taking notes on reading (or using
highlighters) to aid in review and memorization
3. How memory (and memorization) works
4. Taking notes on class discussion or lectures
5. Test-taking strategies
6. Time management
Assessment of course knowledge (an evaluation in the form of a questionnaire)
Phase 2: Application: "Eating your problem course for breakfast before it eats you for lunch"
This component includes a checklist of impediments to learning, and other information
meant to help identify causes of academic struggles and learning disorders. I also give
recommendations to you as to how you can best help your child recall and utilize the course
knowledge and skills to pursue success, and how you can work with the school to ensure
that your son or daughter is applying the knowledge and skills during the school year.
On-going support:
I will also provide on-going support in the future as you attempt to address other
impediments to learning which may be disrupting your child’s success. You have merely to
e-mail me or phone my office with your questions or concerns. If I cannot help you from my
own stock of experience or professional knowledge, I will try to refer you to someone who
can.
MATERIALS NEEDED
The following materials will be needed for the course, and/or in school:
Pen or pencil
A 3-ring binder
1 pack of blank notebook paper
3-hole or 1-hole punch
1 pack of 3x5 cards
Highlighters (yellow, orange, and green)
SUGGESTION FOR SHORT-TERM MOTIVATION
You may wish to motivate your child to apply him/herself by offering a gift card to their
favorite store or restaurant (any denomination--$5, 10, etc.), if they achieve a 100% on the
assessment. I will meanwhile work on increasing their motivation for the long term via
lessons that will aid their success (which increases motivation).
Remember that success in this course could spell success for the rest of their academic career,
and beyond.
AFTER THE COURSE
Please feel free to call or e-mail me if you have on-going concerns.
I am developing some other on-line courses to provide help with history and other social
studies courses, called “I hate history,” “I hate geography,” etc.
For older students (high school seniors, rising seniors, recent graduates), I am developing a
course called Life 101. I expect to include topics such as:
Managing money (drawing on my seven years in the financial services business)
budgeting
handling credit
debt elimination
investing for retirement & other goals
insurance
estate planning
Career decisions
college major
job search
starting your own business
Making decisions when experts give conflicting advice (medical, financial, and more)
Relationships
getting along with others
dealing with conflict
dating (I believe in abstinence before marriage)
preparing for marriage
preparing for parenthood
And more….
I am planning on offering Life 101 in an on-line version, and perhaps in a workshop version.
I may do the same for the social studies courses. Once the courses are developed, I may be
available to speak on these topics at schools, churches, civic organizations, or other public
forums.
Copyright 2006, Michael T. Swords
Convenient online tutoring for
School Success
at school-success.net
School Success
at school-success.net
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