S4 Mentoring

Programme 2012

Pupil Task Booklet

Name………………

Preparing for

Exam Success

2

Introduction

Congratulations on your commitment to being part of the S4 Mentoring Programme. You

have been invited to join the programme as you have been identified as a pupil that has

great potential and will benefit from the support of a Staff Mentor. The aim of the

programme is to help you focus your attention on achieving your full academic potential

in the final SQA exams.

All pupils involved in the S4 Mentoring Programme will be given a Pupil Profile Booklet

like this one. This booklet includes relevant topics such as Study Skills, Target Setting,

Time Management, and other important information such as a Supported Study timetable.

The booklet also consists of tables to note performances in class tests and homework, and

keep a log of Personal Study. This will hopefully enable your Mentor to monitor and track

your progress and ensure you are doing what is required to fulfil your potential.

In order to assist you, you will have regular monthly meetings with your Mentor who will

provide support, discuss progress, identify targets and help create study plans. You may

be allocated an S6 ‘Buddy’ who, having been through it all before, will give you invaluable

advice and support on how to cope with the demands of Standard Grade exams.

For this programme to be successful, it is important that we have your continued support

and commitment to the programme. After each Mentor meeting that takes place, you will

be asked to complete a task that will help you prepare for success in your exams.

I know that if we work as a team, together we can help you achieve the best results

possible and look forward to greater exam success in May.

Yours sincerely,

J Hammond

PT Pupil Support - Raising Attainment

3

Contents Page

Page 4 Mentor Meeting 1: Self Evaluation

Page 5 Pupil Task 1: Self Evaluation

Page 6 Mentor Meeting 2: Target Setting

Page 7 Pupil Task 2: Target Setting

Page 11 Mentor Meeting 3: Time Management

Page 13 Pupil Task 3: Time Management

Page 18 Mentor Meeting 4: Study Skills

Page 20 Pupil Task 4: Study Skills

Page 23 Mentor Meeting 5: Stress Management

Page 24 Pupil Task 5: Stress Management

Page 25 Mentor Meeting 6: Exam Tips

Page 26 Pupil Task 6: Exam Tips

Page 27 Calendar

4

Mentor Meeting 1- Self Evaluation

Before your Mentor can set you targets, you are required to self evaluate and identify your current

performance levels by reflecting on your Standard Grade S3 Prelim.

1. With help from your mentor, fill in the table below by adding your final grade and what grades

you think your effort levels deserved (1-6)?

Subject Teacher Result Deserved Grade What was

your target

grade

2. Write down a subject you feel that you performed well in

……………………………………

3. It is important to identify the reasons for your successes. I want you to think about what is it

you do in this subject above that makes you successful in it. Write down three reasons/things you

do in this subject that you maybe don’t do in others.

i) ………………………………………………………………………………………………........................

ii) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

iii) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4. Look closely at the table, especially at the Deserved Grade and Target Grade columns. I want

you to identify target subjects you feel you are capable of improving in the most with more

applied effort. Be realistic and honest and target a minimum of 3 subjects.

Target Subject 1 ……………………….. Target Subject 2………………….…..

Target Subject 3………..……………….

5

Pupil Task 1- Self Evaluation

To be able to fulfil your potential and achieve the best grades you are capable of, you must be

committed to giving it your best shot. After receiving exam results, it is important to be able to

say, ‘I’m happy with them, I did everything possible and I got what I deserved’.

To self evaluate your effort levels in the run up to your exams in May, fill out the table below. At

the end of each month, give yourself a grade for effort in each of your 3 Target subjects. The grade

should be between 1-6 and reflect what you think your effort levels deserve (similar to Standard

Grade, 1 best - 6 worst).

Subject/Target Grade

Month Number

Deserved Grade

Deserved Grade

Deserved Grade

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Monitor your effort levels and maintain your focus on achieving your set goals. If you realise a

gap emerge between your Target Grade and Deserved Grade in any subject, place more emphasis

on homework and personal revision in that subject over the next week to catch up on work.

6

Mentor Meeting 2- Target Setting

When setting any goals or targets, it is crucially important to make sure that your targets are

SMART.

S – Specific M – Measurable A – Achievable R – Relevant T - Timescale

What does this mean?

SPECIFIC

Break your goals down into small manageable chunks. For example, a generalised goal in P.E.

would be to improve your Practical Performance grade. Practical Performance is made up of five

activities and you simply do not have the time to work on all of them. A specific goal in P.E.

would be to improve your Trampolining Practical Grade from a 3 to a 1.

MEASURABLE

Set goals should allow you to test whether you have achieved them or not. If you set yourself the

goal of ‘Understanding Weather Maps’, then this is easy to test in the form of past papers and

questions on weather charts. If you achieve a high percentage in the test, you know you have

achieved your goal and can go about achieving the next goal.

ACHIEVABLE

Goals should be used to motivate you on wanting to improve. Achievable goals should be ones

that you are able to complete or accomplish. Achieving your goal gives you a great deal of

satisfaction and provides you with a ‘feel good’ factor, which boosts your self esteem and gives

you self confidence.

RELEVANT

Goals should be relevant to what you are trying to achieve. Before agreeing a goal, be sure that it

will bring you closer to your overall target. If it does not then you are wasting your time.

TIMESCALES

Goals should have a time limit and you should do everything possible to achieve your goal within

the time allowed. Time limits should be realistic and it does require planning on your part. By

sticking to deadlines it helps you accomplish what needs done and avoids getting behind in work

and too stressed to function effectively.

7

Pupil Task 2- Target Setting

Following the principles of S.M.A.R.T. for goal setting, I want you to set yourself three goals for

each of your target subjects. Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant,

and have a Timescale.

To assist you in this task, for each target subject, one goal must be agreed on by

i) You and your subject teacher

ii) You and your Mentor

iii) You and your parent/guardian

Example of Goals

Pupil/Subject Teacher- you will move seat in class as you are having trouble

concentrating sitting beside one of your friends.

Pupil/Mentor- you will attend supported study every week for this target subject.

Mentor will monitor attendance by checking the supported study record.

Pupil/Parents- you will complete 30mins of personal study in target subject every

night.

These goals will help you keep focused on the task ahead and once achieved should

be replaced by more ambitious but achievable goals. Continue to keep setting

yourself targets leading up to the exams. If you are unsure on what areas need

improvement or what your goals should be, ask for assistance from your subject

teacher, mentor, or parent/guardian.

See over the page.

8

Target Record

Target Subject…………………………………. Prelim Grade………………… Target Grade…………………..

Pupil and Subject Teacher Agreed Goals to Achieve Target Grade Deadline Achieved √

1

2

3

4

5

6

Pupil and Mentor Agreed Goals to Achieve Target Grade Deadline Achieved √

1

2

3

4

5

6

Pupil and Parent Agreed Goals to Achieve Target Grade Deadline Achieved √

1

2

3

4

5

6

9

Mentor Meeting 3- Time Management

Better time management skills improve your academic performance and keep your stress levels

under control. Prioritise, Planning, and Persistence are the three P’s of effective time

management skills.

Prioritise- learn to say ‘NO’ to your friends so that you can keep to your schedule. A short term

shift in your lifestyle might be needed to help you accomplish your goals.

Planning- find a balance between study and free time. Put time aside for both by making and

revising a study timetable that works for you. Get studying over and done with first so you can

really switch off and enjoy your free time.

Persistence- having persistence is the ability to beat laziness and sticking to your study timetable.

Avoidance of doing a task which needs to be accomplished can create stress.

Planning to Study: Deciding what is to be done?

Making the most of the time available is a skill and like so many other skills it can be learned. Ask

yourself……’ What is important?’ and ‘What is urgent?’

You will have commitments in your life that require time dedicated to them. Some commitments

are incredibly important to you and occur at a fixed time in the week and cannot be rescheduled.

You will also have commitments that are not important to you but still need time dedicated to

them. Quite often these type of commitments can be rearranged to a more suitable time which

allows you to get on with the more important and urgent tasks.

When you complete the task over the page, you should consider the following:

• Spend time on the ‘Important/Cannot be Rescheduled’ tasks first e.g., a project

deadline

• Spend time on the ‘Important/Can be Rescheduled’ tasks but at a time that is

suitable e.g., time with friends, sports, hobbies

• Cut down on the ‘Not Important’ tasks

10

List all the hobbies, sports, activities, and pastimes you do in a typical week that

involves you dedicating your time to them, e.g. work, training, visiting relations,

babysitting.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now prioritise all of these into the table below according to their importance, if they have a

deadline, or if they can be rescheduled.

Important /

Cannot be Rescheduled

Important /

Can be Rescheduled

Not Important /

Cannot be Rescheduled

Not Important /

Can be Rescheduled

11

Pupil Task 3- Time Management

Now that you have identified what is important in your life and what is simply a waste of time,

you can now sit down and make up a Personal Study Programme (see overleaf).

By continuously delaying or putting off personal study, it makes it very difficult to enjoy your free

time as it is constantly on the back of your mind and you may feel under pressure or guilty for not

meeting your study targets.

Basic Study Guidelines

Everyone develops their own way of studying. However, here are some basic guidelines which

apply to us all.

• You should continuously revise and review our work. Don’t leave studying too late.

• Identify those things which have to be done and decide which have to be done first

• Have a daily and weekly plan for study and other commitments.

• Be realistic in your time allocations for each activity and allow for social activities.

• Divide your study into sessions of about 45-50mins, allowing for short breaks of about 5-10mins

in between.

• Start with difficult areas or those you like least, saving the best to last.

• Go over your work within a day of learning it. Rework your notes, highlight areas of

importance, identify areas you are unsure of and ask for help in these areas.

Planning

Task 1 (See overleaf)

Complete a personal study programme for term time and when necessary exam leave. By having

a disciplined approach in following your Study Programme, it will encourage you to set time

aside for study as well as the activities that are important to you. It is very important that you are

realistic with your Study Programme.

Task 2 (See overleaf)

Look closely at the Supported Study schedule and highlight which sessions you will attend.

Remember, your target subjects should take priority in the event of subjects clashing.

12

Personal Study Programme- Term Time

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday W’end

Time Saturday Sunday

15.30

8-9

16.00

9-10

16.30

10-11

17.00

11-12

17.30

12-13

18.00

13-14

18.30

14-15

19.00

15-16

19.30

16-17

20.00

17-18

20.30

18-19

21.00

19-20

21.30

20-21

22.00

21-22

22.30

22-23

13

Personal Study Programme- Exam Leave

Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

08.00

09.00

10.00

11.00

12.00

13.00

14.00

15.00

16.00

17.00

18.00

19.00

20.00

21.00

22.00

14

Mentor Meeting 4- Study Skills

Prepare to Study: A Good Study Place

You need a good place to prepare yourself to study effectively. Answer the questions below

honestly. For an effective study environment, you should be able to answer YES to all the

questions.

1. Is my study place available to me whenever I need it?…Y/N………………………………

Your study place is no good if you can’t use it when you need to.

2. Is my study place free from interruptions and distractions? …Y/N………………………

You may need to turn your mobile phone off. Research shows that most students study best in a

quiet environment so if you must have the TV or music on, keep the volume low. Decide if you

find it helpful to study in a group, or is this just time spent chatting and you focus more when

working alone?

3. Do I have all the study materials I need close at hand? …Y/N……………………………

Be sure your study place has all the stuff you need such as pens, pencils, highlighters, rulers,

calculator and whatever school books or resources you need. Once seated, do not look for an

excuse to leave your study environment.

4. Do you have a large enough table and a comfortable chair in your study space? Y/N…………..

Trying to study while lounging around initially may seem comfortably, but it will quickly place

strain on your neck and back.

5. Do you have enough light in your study place to see clearly?....Y/N.................................................

Do not place strain on your eyes by studying in a dimly lit room as this can make you sleepy.

6. Is your study place the right temperature?.......Y/N..............................................................................

Not too warm to make you sleepy or not too cold to stop you from concentrating

15

Identifying Your Learning Style

Multi-Sensory Learning- You use all five of your senses but you tend to have a preference for

learning using one of the three described below.

Seeing Hearing Touching Tasting Smelling

VISUAL: About 29% of us prefer to learn by seeing demonstrations and using visual aids

AUDITORY: About 34% of us prefer to learn by listening to sounds and people speaking

KINAESTHETIC: About 37% of us prefer to learn by dong-experiencing it physically

Making Things More Memorable

Short and Sharp When revising, you remember the most at the start and at the end of each session. Do not spend

hours at a time staring at your work. Take regular breaks. The more beginnings and ends you

have, the more you will remember.

Laugh We all like things that are funny. Use humour to help you remember. For example, a mnemonic to

remember the 7 continents of the world, EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, ANTARTICA, AUSTRALIA,

NORTH AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA, could be:

‘ Elves Are Aggressive After A Nasty Surprise ‘

Words and Pictures Some people use words and others prefer to use their imagination to help them picture what it is

they are trying to remember.

Think Differently Whether you are using rhymes, mnemonics, chunking, post it notes or wacky stories, things that

are out of place tend to stick in your head.

Test Yourself by Teaching Someone Else A good way to increase the chances of you remembering something is to take some time to teach it

to someone else.

Colour Add colour and pictures to your notes to bring them alive and give your brain something to get

excited about.

16

Pupil Task 4- Study Skills

What Is Your Mindset

People have one of two mindsets, a ‘fixed mindset’ or a ‘growth mindset’. You are not born

with a specific mindset, it is something you develop growing up. This means you can change your

mindset by how you behave and respond to feedback.

Fixed People with a fixed mindset believe that they were born naturally talented at some

things and naturally untalented at other things. They think success will either

happen or not and they have no control over it.

Growth People with a growth mindset believe that lots of hard work and effort will lead to

improvement and success. They realise that success will not be handed to them on a

plate and that they have to do something about it if they want to achieve it.

Think about what mindset

you have in these situations Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset

After getting the results of a

test at school, your initial

thoughts are…………….

……did I do better or worse

than everyone else in the class?

……..what did I get wrong

and how can I improve?

When your teacher tells you to

stop chatting in class…………

……you tut, go off in the huff

and moan about how your

teacher has got it in for you.

……you realise that at the end

of the day, they are right, you

should be working and you

cannot complain.

When you become good at

something…………………..

…….you concentrate on this

alone and neglect trying to

improve in other areas of the

subject

…….you consider how you

can use the same

determination to improve and

achieve in other areas of your

life.

If you get poor prelim

results…………….. ……you give up.

……you keep going realising

that this is the jolt you needed

to put in more hard work and

effort.

It is hard, but sometimes you have to give things a go even if you would rather just pack it in and

go home. You may not be good at something now but if you give up, two things are for sure;

1. You will never find out what you could have done

2. You certainly will not get any better at it

17

Pupil Task 4- Study Skills Cont’d

How to Develop a Growth Mindset

Know the ‘Gaps’ in Your Learning

• These ‘gaps’ are the information you struggle to understand. For example, if you get 70% in an

exam, the ‘gaps’ in your learning is the 30% that you got wrong.

• Your focus must be placed on the 30% incorrect answers in an attempt to understand what you

have done wrong. Once ‘gaps’ have been identified seek guidance on how you can improve in

these areas.

• Know what you are being assessed on by asking the teacher to share with you what the

questions are likely to be in your exams. Identify what the SUCCESS CRITERIA is and what your

teacher is looking for from a correct answer.

Task (See Overleaf)

For each of your target subjects, identify a topic that was highlighted as one of your weaknesses in

a recent test or piece of homework. Revisit homework, previous tests and prelims to identify

problematic topics and list those in which you need to revise most. Ask your teacher to look at this

list to confirm the topics.

Set a timescale to revisit this topic and on the deadline, complete a test to measure your

improvement. If you have shown an improvement in the topic, identify another area for

development and follow the same procedure.

Replicate for all target subjects.

18

‘Gaps’ in Learning Record

Target Subject- Topics to be Revised Deadline Previous Test

Score

Present Test

Score

1

2

3

4

5

6

Target Subject- Topics to be Revised Deadline

Previous Test

Score

Present Test

Score

1

2

3

4

5

6

Target Subject- Topics to be Revised Deadline

Previous Test

Score

Present Test

Score

1

2

3

4

5

6

19

Mentor Meeting 5- Stress Management

Stress is a condition experienced when a person feels that the demands place upon them are

greater that what they can achieve. Stress can reduce your ability to cope and you no longer

function effectively. However, stress does not always have a negative effect, it depends on your

time management and the way you handle it. Prioritise, Planning, and Persistence.

Affects of Being Overstressed

• Damages the immune system meaning you catch more colds

• Sleeping patterns will be disrupted

• You will lose your appetite and stop eating properly

• Fear for the future

• Become too self critical

• Doubt your abilities and expect failure

• Mental performance is reduced

Negative thinking damages confidence, harms performance and paralyzes mental skills.

Challenge your negative thoughts. Be positive

Relaxation Techniques Controlled Breathing- inhale and hold for a total of 6 seconds, exhale continuously for 6 seconds.

Repeat for 1 minute to get rid of any stale air held in the lungs.

Meditation- close your eyes firmly for 3 seconds before releasing for 3 seconds. Repeat twice and

try to clear your head of all thoughts. Sit with eyes closed for two minutes.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation- tense various groups of muscles one at a time (e.g. quadriceps),

starting with a gentle contraction, and build up to a full contraction for a total of 6 seconds before

releasing.

Mental Imagery- close your eyes and imagine the exam scene. Start your mental rehearsal from

the moment you wake up on the morning of your first exam. Picture how everything should be

and imagine how you would like it to be.

20

Pupil Task 5- Stress Management

Try out all of the techniques explained above and discover if any work for you. If one or more

techniques work, then use them every time you feel things are getting too much for you.

Remember the best way to avoid stress is by staying on top of tasks. Do not let tasks build up as

no matter how hard you try to forget about them, they will always on the back of your mind.

Healthy Body = Healthy Mind

When you are stressed, hormones are secreted which can cause high blood pressure. Use up your

stress hormones with physical activity.

Regular exercise also strengthens your heart and increases the blood supply to your brain. To

function most effectively, include some physical exercise in your daily routine.

List examples of things you do each week that is considered physical activity e.g. walking the dog

…………………………… …………………………. ………………………….

…………………………… …………………………. ………………………….

…………………………… …………………………. ………………………….

…………………………… …………………………. ………………………….

…………………………… …………………………. ………………………….

Task

Look back at your Personal Study Programme and make sure you have made some time available

for exercise to enable you to cope with stress. It is important to dedicate time to exercise, therefore

add some of the physical activities listed above in your study programme.

21

Mentor Meeting 6- Exam Tips

To do well in an exam you must have a good knowledge of what is being tested. But you must

also have a strategy for taking the exam that allows you to show what you know. The DETER

strategy can help you do your best on any test. Each letter reminds you what to do so you avoid

the most common mistakes students make in exams.

D=DIRECTIONS E=EXAMINE T=TIME E=EASIEST R=REVIEW

Directions • Read the question carefully, focus on bold or highlighted writing

• Answer the question that is written and not the question you think is written

• Show your understanding of specialist terms by defining them and giving examples

• Make sure you know the meaning of key exam instructions such as ‘discuss’ and ‘explain’

Examine • Check the format of the exam and be clear on how to best answer the questions

• Check how long the exam is and how many questions you will have to answer

• Use the marks awarded as a guide as to how long and detailed your answer needs to be

Time • Give all questions appropriate time

• Give the questions that have more marks a bit more time

• A common mistake is to spend too long on one question, leaving little time to finish the rest

Easiest • Answer the questions you find easiest first

• If you get stuck on a difficult question early on in the exam, have the courage to move on

Review • Leave some time to read through all answers, looking for mistakes and adding further detail

Give two examples of silly mistakes you made in your most recent Prelims that cost you marks

and explain what you learnt from them and how you will overcome them in the next exam.

Past Mistakes

1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………

……………………………………………………………….………………………………………………….

2…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

22

Pupil Task 6- Exam Tips

In the Build Up to Your Exam

• Check the exam date, time and place and how long the exam lasts

• Check how many questions there are and whether you have a choice

• Check the format of the questions

• Check how long you have to answer each question

On the Day of Your Exam

• Arrive in good time with all necessary equipment

• Slowly read all the questions two or three times before deciding how you will answer them

• Plan your answers

• Plan your time allocation

• Don’t rush or panic- pace yourself

Top Tips

• Answer in note form if you are running out of time

• Leave gaps for questions you want to go back to

• Highlight key examiners’ instructions

• Use the marks as a guide to how much you should write for each question

Task

i)Using the Calendar at the back of this booklet, write in the time and date of all your exams.

ii)Make a list of all the equipment you need in sitting all 8 subject exams

Admin. …………………………………………………………………………………………

Art …………………………………………………………………………………………

Biology …………………………………………………………………………………………

Business Man. …………………………………………………………………………………………

Chemistry …………………………………………………………………………………………

Computing …………………………………………………………………………………………

Design and Tech. …………………………………………………………………………………………

English …………………………………………………………………………………………

French …………………………………………………………………………………………

Geography …………………………………………………………………………………………

German …………………………………………………………………………………………

History …………………………………………………………………………………………

Home Ec. …………………………………………………………………………………………

Maths …………………………………………………………………………………………

Modern Studies …………………………………………………………………………………………

Music …………………………………………………………………………………………

P.E. …………………………………………………………………………………………

Physics …………………………………………………………………………………………

23