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Taking Notes and Going Places

Posted: November 7, 2019

By Rossana Villaflor, Teacher

An important part of developing good readers is teaching students to identify which pieces of information are most valuable to their understanding. Practicing note-taking is one of the preliminary steps in the higher order thinking process that is crucial to analyzing and evaluating the information gathered and comprehending its context. Whether it’s for preparing our students to take a test, write a report, or sharpen their skills for their future career choices, note-taking skills are paramount to their success.

When I was a high school student, I became interested in journalism and signed up as a reporter for my school’s monthly newspaper. I was interested in writing about stories that helped raise awareness about issues that teenagers were facing in high school. At first, I was overwhelmed by all the information I researched for my articles. I would get confused about which material was vital to my article. I learned to interview my fellow students on topics such as the use of school uniforms, having healthy school lunches, and the amount of homework assigned to students. It was a daunting task for me since I found it challenging to organize my notes and put my thoughts together.

Another one of the challenges I faced in school was taking exams and tests. I would always be the last one to finish, deciphering my choices and going over my answers. I wished I had discovered the note-taking strategies I needed to help me become a better reader and writer earlier on in my academic journey. I wasn’t equipped with the skills to take good notes at that time. In my Overcoming Obstacles classes, my counselor taught me how to practice being an effective notetaker and develop good study habits.

Overcoming Obstacles offers a structured lesson that is easy to follow on helping students improve their note-taking skills in Module Five of the Middle School Curriculum, “Taking Notes.”

The activity called “Get Set” gets students to actively be engaged in their note-taking process to ensure that students are only taking notes on the most relevant information in the classroom. The next part, “Easy as One, Two, Three” offers students an activity sheet that can also be used in other subjects to help organize their thoughts and prepare for future assessments in those classes. Part Three of the lesson if my favorite part, “Go!” which requires students to practice giving verbal directions on getting from one place to another.

I believe in engaging students to become thoughtful readers opens up their minds to infinite possibilities. The practice of taking notes is a skill that helps our students put into proper context the vast knowledge that is taught to them and gets them to become high achieving thinkers.


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