Discuss “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”.

Write one example of the school

activities you had undergone successfully to prove the 5 P’s in planning.

Also known as the magic 5 P’s of success, Proper Planning can really Prevent Poor

Performance. Using this acronym will remind you of the importance of planning and provide you

will the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.

PROPER:

Tip 1: Know yourself – are you a morning person or a night owl? Once you know this, you can

see when you are most likely to perform better – try to do the trickiest academic work

during the time when your brain is most active.

Tip 2: Resources – gather as much information as you can before starting the task from reliable

sources that will ensure you do not miss any important steps, advice or content. For

example, get practice tests, past papers and a copy of the syllabus from your teachers,

download articles and advice, and utilise free tools.

PLANNING: A detailed, well-thought out plan is important when starting a task. You need to

think about what time you have and how you can fit extra work around your daily life. Meticulous

planning and using the right tools will get you ahead.

Tip 1: Use a wall planner– gets lots of highlighters and mark out the following:

 Your holidays

 Time outside of the classroom e.g. Friday evenings (will you really work on a Friday),

football practice, music lesson, ski holidays, family days out

 Mock exams, coursework, presentations, oral commentaries, Extended Essay, portfolios,

…the final exams.

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  Write in school events – any festivals, parent conferences, university visits, college fairs…

Make sure you display the calendar in a prominent place where you can see it every day,

that way you will always have the bigger picture in front of you, and it will motivate you.

Tip 2: Make lists and prioritise them.

PREVENT: There will always be something that will scupper your plans, you get ill or the school

closes. It is always a good idea to have a backup plan or strategies ‘up your sleeve’ so you can

address any problems that may arise.

Tip 1: Talk to your teachers – the are experts on your doorstep, they know you, your subjects and

the deadlines best. Ask them for advice, you might be able to negotiate deadlines.

Tip 2: Review your day – what could you cut out if you had to.

Tip 3: Consider what options are available to you.

POOR: Try to complete the task the best you can.

Tip 1: Study Buddies – get a group of fellow students and work as a group. Split topics and share

notes, test or teach each other and check that you are all keeping to your plans and

deadlines. A group of you will also encourage and motivate one another.

Tip 2: Do not hurt yourself – aiming for perfection can hurt. Do the best you can without burning

yourself out or cutting into other important tasks.

PERFORMANCE: All of the above will help you feel more in control of your life and that in

itself should bring you more confidence. Confidence leads to success; success means good grades

and a step in the right direction of your chosen career path.

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Final Tip: Celebrate your success with your family, friends, and teachers. They are down to your

hard work and proper planning!

Example:

As of the moment, I am not part of a school organization for I am not teaching yet. But

the example I am going to give is when I was still an intern during my Practice Teaching Days.

As the school year’s end is approaching, the teachers in our cooperating school were very

busy preparing for the Moving Up ceremony for the Grade 10 students, including my cooperating

teacher. As interns, we helped the teachers prepare what was needed for the ceremony. We helped

with the printing of the certificates for the students with awards, students with honors, and students

with high honors with their names given by their advisers. Some of us also helped in arranging,

decorating and beautifying the venue. Though most of the work were done by the teachers in their

designated committees. They had overtimes just to finish all the things needed for the ceremony

on time. We also attended the ceremony. And as of what we witnessed, the ceremony went well

and smoothly though the program went on for a long time because of the many number of the

students.

That activity wouldn’t be successful without proper planning. The planning of which and

who of the teachers would best fit on a certain committee. The planning of which venue would

accommodate the many number or the students including their parents and some relatives where

they can move comfortably. And also, the planning of orienting the students on where to stay and

when to go up and exit the stage to maintain order, peacefulness and solemnity of the program.

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