Master Note Taking: Skills for Academic Success

📝 HELP YOUR STUDENT BECOME A CONFIDENT, INDEPENDENT NOTE-TAKER

Does your student struggle to take meaningful notes — or even know where to begin? As middle and high school demands grow, solid note-taking skills become more important than ever.

Maybe your child listens in class, but doesn’t remember the key points later. Or maybe they try to write everything down — and end up overwhelmed and frustrated. You’re not alone — and they don’t have to figure it out on their own.

This interactive, supportive class helps students move beyond passive listening into active, effective learning. With practical strategies, real-time modeling, and weekly opportunities to practice, your student will build the skills they need to take clear, useful notes — and actually know what to do with them.

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🎯 HOW THIS CLASS WORKS

Each session walks students step-by-step through the process of taking great notes. No overwhelming systems or gimmicks — just solid, flexible techniques they can use across subjects.

Each week includes:

            ✅ A quick intro to note-taking strategies
            ✅ Focus on one key skill (like summarizing or organizing notes)
            ✅ Group note-taking using a short educational video (TED-Ed or Crash Course)
            ✅ Instructor modeling so students can follow along — whether they’re beginners or 
                  ready to work more independently

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🧠 SKILLS YOUR STUDENT WILL PRACTICE

Each week, we’ll focus on one specific strategy to build confidence and capability, including:

             ✍️ Using abbreviations effectively
             📌 Identifying and summarizing main ideas
             📄 Organizing notes clearly on the page
             🔍 Filling in missing information
             📚 Reviewing, revising, and studying with notes

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🙌 FLEXIBLE, SUPPORTIVE, AND DESIGNED FOR ALL TYPES OF LEARNERS

This class meets students where they are. Whether your learner loves sharing aloud or prefers to participate in the chat, all communication styles are welcome.

It’s also ideal for students who are ready to move beyond fill-in-the-blank worksheets and want to develop the real-world skill of writing notes from scratch.

Per Outschool policy, learners must have cameras on at the beginning of class for check-in, but they’re welcome to turn them off afterward if they prefer.

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📅 ONGOING & ADAPTABLE TO YOUR FAMILY'S SCHEDULE

Students can join at any time and stay for as long as it’s helpful. Each week features a new video and fresh skill practice. Whether your child needs a quick confidence boost or long-term support, this class adapts to fit their journey.

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❓QUESTIONS? I’M HERE TO HELP!

If you’re wondering whether this class is the right fit or have any other questions, feel free to reach out. Just click the “Ask a Question” or “Message” button and I’ll get back to you soon. I’m happy to help! 😊

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🎥 NOTE-TAKING PRACTICE VIDEOS

We’ll use short, engaging educational videos (10 minutes or less) from trusted sources like TED-Ed and Crash Course. These videos are used purely for note-taking practice — we won’t be discussing the content in depth. 


Week of March 17: Crash Course Psychology #4-- Meet Your Brain

Week of March 24: focus on abbreviations; video: TedEd-- How Miscommunication Happens and How to Avoid It

Week of March 31: focus on identifying main points / summarizing; video: Ted Talks: The Simple Power of Handwashing

Week of April 7: focus on formatting notes; video: Crash Course World History 209, How World War 1 Started

Week of April 14: focus on dealing with missing info; video: Geography Now: Canada

Week of April 21: focus on studying from notes; video: TedTalks: How I Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Week of April 28: focus on abbreviations; video: Crash Course Astronomy #37: The Milky Way 

Week of May 5: focus on identifying main points / summarizing; video: Crash Course English Literature #8-- Emily Dickinson

Week of May 12: focus on formatting notes; video:Crash Course Biology #29-- Mitosis and the Cell Cycle

Weeks of May 19 and 26-- no classes

Week of June 2: focus on dealing with missing info; video: TedEd-- What Would Happen If You Didn't Drink Water?

Week of June 9: focus on studying from notes; video: Crash Course Psychology #2-- Psychological Research

Week of June 16: focus on abbreviations; video: TedEd-- The Science of Touchscreens

Week of June 23: focus on identifying main points / summarizing; video: TedTalks: 5 Ways to Listen Better by Julian Treasure

Week of June 30: focus on formatting notes; video: Crash Course World History #2-- Indus Valley Civilization

Week of July 7: focus on dealing with missing info; video: Geography Now: Cuba