This guide covers how this program runs: the weekly rhythm, who is in the room, and what is different about a Succeed in School class.
This is a living document. Details marked “to be confirmed” will be filled in as they are settled, so check back before your first class.Throughout, S&I source marks guidance taken from Seminaries and Institutes materials, and Westland decision marks choices our stake has made for local conditions.
Still to be confirmed
- Class start time and room
- Final instructor roster and which pair teaches which day
- Where workbooks and pencils will be stored in the building
- How attendance and the lesson log will be recorded
- Whether a snack will be offered, and who provides it
- Date of the initial instructor training with our S&I coordinator
Before your first class
First class: Monday, October 19. Westland decision
- Complete the Protecting Children and Youth training Required for every adult serving with youth. It is online. Finish it before your first class and let Eric know when it’s done. Open the training
- Attend the initial instructor training Led by an S&I employee several weeks before classes begin, about three to four hours. You will walk through the lessons and the class format. Implementation Guide, p. 10
- Read the opening pages of your workbook The front pages of the Study and Life Skills workbook explain the class outline this guide is built on. Implementation Guide, p. 14
- Find yourself on the schedule board Open the schedule, choose your name under “I am,” and your classes will be highlighted.
- Read the first lesson a day or two ahead This is the only preparation the program asks for: time to gather supplies and think about how to help your students. Implementation Guide, pp. 10, 13
How the week runs
Westland meets two days a week, Monday and Wednesday. Both days are the same class, with the same students, the same workbook, and the same outline.
The S&I workbook describes two kinds of class: a Skill Activity class held one or two days a week, and a Schoolwork class on the other days. Study and Life Skills workbook We hold a Skill Activity class both days. Westland decision
Every class gets the next workbook lesson, in order. The lesson is short. It sets the tone, breaks the ice, and gets students thinking about why they’re here. Then the rest of class is for homework.
Classes are typically about an hour. Implementation Guide, p. 4 For now, class runs 3:30 to 4:30 PM. Students come from two school districts with different release times, so this may shift later. The schedule board always shows the current time. Westland decision
A class session, step by step
Follow this outline every time you gather. Minutes in teal come from the workbook. The others are our estimate for fitting an hour.
Monday and Wednesday
Skill Activity class
- Greet students
- Record attendance
- Opening prayer
- A student helps lead the activity
- Invite everyone to take part
- Students plan what they’ll work on
- Group students studying the same subject
- Work on schoolwork or study
- Partners discuss: what do you still need to do? Who can help you?
- Choose the student helper for next class
- Closing prayer
Outline from “How to Use This Workbook.” Study and Life Skills workbook
Two moments worth planning for
Choosing the student helper. Each class ends by choosing who will help lead the next class’s activity. Because the other pair teaches next time, record the student’s name in the lesson log so they know who to expect and can help the student get ready.
Moving from the lesson to homework. Before schoolwork time, connect the skill to what students brought with them. A quick question works well: “Which assignment could you use this on today?” This keeps the lesson from feeling separate from the work that follows.
Who is in the room
Each class has two called instructors. Having two adults present keeps the program running when someone is sick and meets the Church’s expectation that two responsible adults be present with youth, which the Protecting Children and Youth training explains.
Instructor 1
Teaches the lesson, guides the class through the outline above, and supports the student helper during the skill activity. The two instructors on a day trade this role from week to week, and the schedule shows who has it. Westland decision
Instructor 2
The second adult in the room. Helps students take part in the activity and works with them during schoolwork time. Sister Sitze also gives math support on her class day, focusing on the math homework students bring. Westland decision
Student helper
A student helps lead the skill activity at each class, chosen at the end of the class before. Study and Life Skills workbook
Tutor pool
Parents and ward members who are invited to help during schoolwork time. No calling is required. Tutors add to the two instructors and never replace them, and a tutor is never left alone with a youth. Westland decision
Eric Oliver, Stake Education Specialist
Eric plans to be in the classroom on Mondays. On Wednesdays he is available by phone or text. Each week he will send a short training note, about ten minutes of reading, and ask how things are going. He also handles workbooks and supplies, collects attendance, and reports to stake leaders and S&I. Implementation Guide, pp. 6, 10
The shared lesson log
Because different pairs teach on Monday and Wednesday, each pair leaves a short note after class so the other pair knows where things stand. Westland decision A few lines is enough.
| Date and lesson | Monday, Oct 19: Lesson 1 |
|---|---|
| What we covered | What went well, and anything you didn’t finish |
| What students are working on | Upcoming tests or projects students mentioned, especially in math |
| Next student helper | Who was chosen to help lead the next class |
| For the other pair | Anything they should follow up on |
Where the log lives is still to be confirmed. Please keep youth names off the public schedule board. It shows instructor assignments and lesson numbers only.
Teaching in this program
Most of what you do in any good classroom applies here. A few things are specific to Succeed in School.
It is a guided experience
Students learn by working together, asking questions, and solving problems, and are encouraged to be kind, help each other, and share what they learn with their families. Information for Teachers, p. 13 S&I describes four emphases for every class: conversion (faith and hope in Jesus Christ), relevance (skills to excel in school), belonging (students feel safe and valued), and learning (asking questions and solving problems together). S&I Succeed in School site
How closely to follow the lesson
- If a skill is familiar to you, use your own words instead of the scripted ones. Follow the script closely only when the material is new to you. Implementation Guide, p. 9
- Change names, examples, and situations that won’t land with our students. The program began in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Africa West Areas, so local examples will often help. Implementation Guide, pp. 1, 9
- Slow down when students aren’t getting it. Learning the material well matters more than finishing a lesson in one class. Implementation Guide, p. 9
- Don’t skip or combine lessons, though you may move quickly when everyone already understands. Ask Eric if you have questions about a lesson. Implementation Guide, p. 10
Schoolwork time is students’ own homework
The workbook lessons don’t use local textbooks. Implementation Guide, p. 9 Schoolwork time, though, is for the assignments students bring from school. For Phase 1 we are not teaching the S&I intermediate math course; math help means working through the math homework students actually have. Westland decision
A wide range of ages
Classes are open to youth ages 11 to 18. Implementation Guide, p. 1 The workbook suggests grouping students who are studying the same subject, which also lets older students help younger ones. Some youth may hold back because they lack confidence in their reading or speaking. Implementation Guide, p. 4
If parents ask
Succeed in School supplements school but does not replace it, and students do not earn school credit. Implementation Guide, p. 5 Point parents to the Parent Guide (listed under Resources).
Room and routines
- Arrive at least ten minutes early. Implementation Guide, p. 12
- Students sit at tables or desks, and each student has a workbook and a pencil or pen. Implementation Guide, p. 4
- Workbooks and pencils stay at the meetinghouse so they don’t get lost. Storage location to be confirmed. Implementation Guide, p. 13
- Take attendance at every class and send it to Eric. The method is to be confirmed. Implementation Guide, p. 6
- Keep class small enough that every student can take part. Tell Eric if the room is getting crowded. Implementation Guide, p. 4
- A healthy snack is encouraged, especially for students who haven’t eaten since lunch. Whether we offer one is to be confirmed. Implementation Guide, p. 8
If you can’t come
- Tell your teaching partner and Eric as early as you can.
- Ask the other pair first. They already know the students and the lesson.
- Record the substitute on the schedule board so everyone sees the change.
- Leave a lesson log note so whoever covers knows where things stand.
If neither instructor for a class can come and no substitute is found, contact Eric. Because two responsible adults must be present with youth, class does not go ahead with only one adult.
Resources
The Stake Implementation Guide cited on this page is available from Eric.
Changes to this guide
- September 22, 2026
- First version.
Succeed in School is directed by stake leaders and supported by Seminaries and Institutes of Religion. This guide is a local training aid for Westland Stake instructors and does not replace the S&I materials. Questions: Eric Oliver, Stake Education Specialist.