Catherine Brandon and Clare Ivens

• Student Workbook• Coach’s Manual

Why teach thinking skills?

Improve performance in an array

of areas

Build confidence

Develop resilience and coping skills

Enhance general wellbeing

and life skills

Unleash your students’ potential !

1

Thinking Skills for Peak Performance: Unleash your potential ISBN: 978 1 4202 2935 6

session 1Discover the champion within

Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision.

Muhammad Ali, American boxer

overview

Today’s programi Discover the champion withini The brain master

i Mark of a champion: finding your strengths

In the Unleash Your Potential program you will discover the keys for being the best you can be. You

will learn tips and strategies used by the world’s elite performers in a range of fields – the arts, sports

or business, for example – to develop your thinking abilities and to overcome obstacles that can

hold you back. The purpose of today’s session is to start thinking about you – who are you, what are

your characteristics and where do your strengths and talents lie?

Discover the champion withinWhat is peak performance?Peak performance is the outcome of an activity in which you have been able to perform to the best

of your ability. This can mean anything from building a model racing car, finding work in the fashion

industry, being successful in business, writing, being creative or maybe winning a sports medal. You

might give an excellent performance in a musical recital, deliver a speech that sounds confident and

convincing, present well in a job interview or achieve the highest grades you are capable of.

We all have different dreams and passions. It is not everyone’s goal to be a world champion at

something or to win medals – nor should it be. This program is about discovering your strengths and

your dreams and learning techniques to allow you to be successful. To be a champion or to be successful

means being the best you can be and achieving your goal – whatever success means to you. In the Unleash Your Potential program, the term ‘performance’ is used to cover any sort of

activity in which you want to increase achievement: sports, creative arts, learning, working in

groups, presenting and so on. The idea is to work smarter, not harder, by using strategies that

promote confidence and success and that diminish fear and failure.

• Topics include: Planning, goal setting, mental preparation, relaxation and visualisation, life balance, positive thinking, focus, flow, overcoming setbacks and optimal performance

• Structured into 10 easy-to-run sessions

• Full of practical, hands-on activities and information for each session

• Spaces provided for students to record their progress and complete activities, thereby creating a journal of their development

• Examples and activities in the program cover a range of performance areas, including sports, academic learning, exam performance, speaking, music, arts etc.

Studentworkbook

10

ISBN: 978 1 4202 2935 6

Thinking Skills for Peak Performance: Unleash your potential ISBN: 978 1 4202 2935 6

Fear of failure Fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons why people do not pursue their dreams.

challenge alert!Overcome your fear of failure by: being brave and challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone daring to dream and taking risks to reach your goals knowing that one setback does not make a person a failure (banish the ‘I am a

failure’ self-talk).

Change how you think about failure. View failure as feedback and focus on what you learnt from the

experience.

bull’s eye!To achieve excellence, you need to know what it is you want to achieve and how you can achieve it.

You must be prepared to put in effort and make sacrifices along the way. This is easier when your

goals are in line with your passions and talents.

Goal setting point Choose your target (your goal). Make sure it is: 4 in line with your passions and talents 4 challenging but achievable4 clear and specific

4 achievable within a certain time frame4 measurable, so that you can see success.

Visualise your goal. See it clearly in your mind. Then write your goal down.

Lee’s goal: To knock 3 seconds off my personal best for 200 metres freestyle by the State Swimming Carnival.

This innovative program teaches cognitive skills essentialfor optimal performances in a wide array of areas. Students will learn Performance Psychology techniques(or thinking skills) used by many top athletes, musicians,business people and anyone else who wishes to achieve success!

This step-by-step guide to implementingthe program allows any teacher to do it!

Features:

• detailed instructions and teacher notes for each activity to carefully guide you through each lesson • five consistently used icons making it easy to follow the structure • given times for each activity, allowing you to plan and successfully implement each session • a varied range of activities and methods of presentation to engage students and cater for varied learning styles

• all activities are tried and tested in the classroom ensuring success.

Coach’s manual

At a glance

Suitable for students from years 9 to 12

Designed for use with small groups such as

sports teams or with whole class groups

Perfect for pastoral care programs

Based on theory and research from

Performance and Sports Psychology

and Positive Psychology

Designed to assist students to understand

and utilise the psychological elements

of performance.

Introduction

Session 1: Discover the champion within

Session 2: Create your future

Session 3: Success is a mindset

Session 4: It’s all in the preparation

Session 5: The ultimate dress rehearsal

Session 6: Peak condition

Session 7: Team harmony

Session 8: The achievement zone

Session 9: Back on track and energised

Session 10: Booster shots

Special feature: Sleep and

performance

Certificate

Bibliography

Notes

Affirmation and card templates

Contents

TITLE ISBN

Thinking Skills for Peak Performance: Student workbook 978 1 4202 2935 6

Thinking Skills for Peak Performance: Coach’s manual 978 1 4202 2936 3

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