how do you support students for the exams?

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How do you support students How do you support students

for the exams?for the exams?

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Key to successKey to success

• Clear sense of what you want to achieve- ambitions and sense that you can only do your best

• Thorough preparation- planning, health, environment

• Effective revision techniques• Management of stress

• Parents can play a major role in this process

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How have you revised in the past?How have you revised in the past?

• When have you started revision?• How have you prepared for revision?• How have you revised?• How successful has your revision been?

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What are your main motivations What are your main motivations for the exam?for the exam?

• Negative reasons• 1) Parents say I must do it• 2) Just here because I am here-

• Dominated by fear of failure

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How do you help to motivate How do you help to motivate students?students?

• Major concern- • Should you interfere and tell pupils to

work yet run the risk of confrontation?• How do you encourage pupils?

• One of the major questions we get asked by parents

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Key issuesKey issues

• 1) All pupils want to do well- some find it more difficult than others to start

• 2) Stress is a major factor surrounding young people and many will go into defence mode when confronted with threats

• 3) Success breeds success• 4) Pupils need a sense that they are

doing this for themselves

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What is driving you?What is driving you?

• Focus on the results day- what would be a success

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Negative psychology methodNegative psychology method

• How would you feel if you missed out?

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Where will it get me?Where will it get me?

• Put up pictures of college, University, or future employment

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I’ll show themI’ll show them

• Has anyone doubted you

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I’m going to do it for meI’m going to do it for me

• I know I can do it and I will

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How do you prepare?How do you prepare?

Have you got the following?

Specifications,

Assessments (past exam papers)

Examiner reports

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Public Examinations: Public Examinations: What?What?

3 examining boards:

1) AQA• www.aqa.org.uk• Then follow the route:• There are links to

Specifications (the syllabus)Assessment materialCourseworkNotice boardExaminers’ reports

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3 examining boards:

2) Edexcel

• www.edexcel.org.uk/• Then Qualifications / subject index (select relevant letter)• When you reach subejct page, select correct qualification

and scroll down to find specification, assessment material and examiner reports

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3 examining boards:

3) OCR• www.ocr.org.uk• Then Candidates /Parents• Useful documents

Datasheets, Factsheets, Overviews & Info packs Information Briefs Markschemes and materials Specifications and Syllabuses Specimen assessment materials Student Guides and Materials

• Then scroll down to find your subject

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Frequently asked questionsFrequently asked questionsWhat happens if the pupils miss / are

late / clash for a Public Examination?

– Clash: tell us as soon as possible (although we try and identify them);

– specific arrangements will be made on an individual basis

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Frequently asked questionsFrequently asked questionsWhat happens if the pupils miss / are late

/ clash for a Public Examination?

– There are strict regulations about what we can do for pupils who are late; if problem ring school immediately and get into school as quickly as possible

– If pupils do not sit exam, no marks unless there is a doctor’s note given to us

– If pupil is unwell, the best approach is to come in and sit the exam, and then we can put in Special Consideration report (v. helpful if this is supported by doctor’s note - can be obtained after the exam)

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Revision: definitionRevision: definition• Revision is another word for reviewing.

• It is the process by which you re-read course essays, notes and textbooks in order to understand and remember what you have learned.

• To be effective, revision requires accurate notes and careful planning....but that's not all .....!

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Learning & Revision: factors Learning & Revision: factors for successful preparationfor successful preparation

PsychologicalPsychological

LearningLearning

PhysiologicalPhysiological

NB NB

Everyone Everyone

is an is an

individual!individual!

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The role of stress ...The role of stress ...U6

Need to balance

• Some stress to get on with revision (results do matter; future education and employment may depend on the)

• Not too much stress which may make them give up! (Sense of perspective; realistic expectations)

Psychological factorsPsychological factors

contrast contrast

7&87&8

Tailor to Tailor to

the the

individualindividual

Vulnerable Vulnerable

stage -6stage -6thth

form feel form feel

ought to be ought to be

copingcoping

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Basic needsBasic needs

– Heat (well oxygenated)

– Air (breathe deeply if you panic! Take fresh air every now and then)

– Sleep (relax before sleep; 8 hours; nocturnal work burns up mental energy needed for the next day)

Physiological factorsPhysiological factors

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DietDiet

– Diet : • protein for the brain (fish, eggs, milk); protein for the brain (fish, eggs, milk);

• nuts + bananas for energy (chocolate nuts + bananas for energy (chocolate effects don’t last as long!!) effects don’t last as long!!)

• waterwater


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PreparationPreparation

– Basic preparation:

– Tidy room

– Tidy desk

– Filed notes

– No TV

– Sound?

– Organisation helps relieve stress

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– Equipment:

New stationary

All files, books, paper, pens, calculator near you


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Timing for revision:

• Short bursts

• Review regularly

– short term memory

– long term memory


As a general rule, most As a general rule, most

effective if knowledge is effective if knowledge is

'reinforced''reinforced'

Understand how your memory works New facts fade after a few hours Revise within 4 hours, fades after 24 hours Revise within 24 hours, fades after 4 daysRevise within 12 days,

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– Timing:• Draw up plan / timelineDraw up plan / timeline

• Dates of exam in redDates of exam in red

• Blank out time you can’t revise in blackBlank out time you can’t revise in black

• Allocate sessionsAllocate sessions


Puts you Puts you

in in

control .. control ..

Not a Not a

waste of waste of

time!time!

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PreparationPreparation– How to allocate?

– List subjects + topics - grade confidence (A - D)

– Mix easier with more difficult - no more than 2 subjects per day


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– How long?• 40 minutes’ revision40 minutes’ revision

• 20 minutes’ break20 minutes’ break– e.g. eat, drink, song, TV, chat

Suggestion … NB lots of Suggestion … NB lots of

different ways - choose what's different ways - choose what's

appropriate for YOUappropriate for YOU


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PreparationPreparationhttp://www.scool.co.uk/default.asp


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How do you start?How do you start?

– Give 'the big picture’• Look at the specification / syllabus Look at the specification / syllabus

topicstopics

• Look at past papers & examiner Look at past papers & examiner commentscomments

• Know what the exam ‘types’ are (essay, Know what the exam ‘types’ are (essay, multichoice, practical, oral)multichoice, practical, oral)

• Start in the spring breakStart in the spring break

Learning & Learning &

revisionrevision

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Construct MeaningConstruct Meaning

– Look at the text books

– Look at exercise books

– Look at teacher support notes

– Look at any other revision guides / web sites etc

– Produce clear exam notes- ideally typed so you can add to them Learning & Learning &

revisionrevision

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Variety of techniquesVariety of techniques

• Use MULTISENSORY methods (VAK)


revisionrevision

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Visual learningVisual learning• Visual

– flashcards

– imagine story

– posters

– spider diagrams / mind maps

– PowerPoint

– colour, font, highlighter CODES (not random!)


revisionrevision

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revisionrevision

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Auditory learningAuditory learning

• Auditory

– Say/record list aloud- ipod

– Say spellings aloud

– Teach your friends and family

– Put to rhyme / music (Beans means ... / for mash ...)- create your own

– Word link

– Group revision


revisionrevision

7x7=497x7=49baculabacula

friendfriend

A litre of water’s a pint and three

quartersTwo and a quarter

pounds of jam weigh about a kilogramme

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Auditory LearningAuditory Learning


revisionrevision

• Mnemonics" SOH - CAH - TOA! "

Pronounced "...soaker toe-er..." where:Sin Ø = Opposite/HypotenuseCos Ø = Adjacent/Hypotenuse

Tan Ø = Opposite/Adjacent sides

" To Oil A Car Always Have Some Oil Handy "

A litre of water’s a pint and three quartersTwo and a quarter pounds of jam weigh about a kilogramme

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Kinesthetic learningKinesthetic learning

• Kinesthetic

– write out (notes summary summary again key words on cards carry round and test yourself)


revisionrevision

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Kinesthetic LearningKinesthetic Learning

• Kinesthetic

– mini whiteboards / frames

– rhythmic action

– verbalise

– match flashcards

– Computer games


revisionrevision

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Kinesthetic LearningKinesthetic Learning• Kinesthetic

– get someone to test aloud (friend, family) - if you can explain it to someone else, you can explain it in an exam!)

– ask questions

– create poster/PowerPoint

– do practice papers under ‘timed’ conditions


revisionrevision

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MemorisationMemorisation

• Employ memory strategies (chunking, clustering, categorising)

• Ask questions, and give TIME for processing the answer

– descriptive (what ...who ... where ..when)

– reflective (why ...compare ..)

– speculative (what if ...)


revisionrevision

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What will your parents be What will your parents be experiencing?experiencing?

advising, tracking, guiding, supporting

resigned flockresigned flock

caring adultcaring adult

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Where will you reviseWhere will you revise

• School- would it benefit you to treat revision as a job?

• Home- away from friends• When will you stop?• What days will you work?

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Main pointsMain points

• Find balance between working hard and working too much

• Devise revision timetable for outside lessons

• "You can only do your best!"

how do you support students for the exams?

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