The start of the year is often a stressful time for students who will be completing their A-levels or GCSE’s in May and June. With only a short time left before the exams start across the country, many students are trying to cram in revision as well as carry on with their lessons.
Undertaking r
When thinking about revision it is important to plan it out and come up with a timetable that also allows for downtime when you can put down the books and do something you enjoy.
Creating a timetable of what days and times you are going to do revision and then splitting it down further
Often schools, colleges and universities also try and focus the classes more on revision during the
If you find that you are struggling then working with a friend can make revision less daunting and help you both practise what you need to.
Making use of your lesson plans for a second or third time
As a teacher your time is very precious as you often do not get a lot of it. You can spend much of your evenings and weekends planning lessons and marking work. It is a good idea to try and reuse as much of your planning as possible to cut down on the time it takes in the future. The first way to do this is to have a template that you can use for planning. You may be given this by the school or through a teaching agency (if you use one). If not then a simple Word document can help you plan the lesson using the same structure.
Although things do change in terms of topics to be taught and the way you should teach them, some will remain the same and therefore it makes sense to base your new lessons on a similar plan. This is especially true if you have found a great way to teach a particular subject or topic. Another way your lesson plans can come in use is to share them with other teachers that work in your school or through teaching forums. Sharing ideas and letting others know what worked and what didn’t work can be a great way to make the most of your experiences
Schools and parents working together in education
Schools like to see parents and carers taking an interest in what the pupil is learning about at school and encourage them to continue this at home. This may be as simple as asking your child what they have been doing that day and trying to integrate part of it into their home life. For
Reading is a very important skill for a child to grasp. Being able to read will not only help them understand books but can also improve their spellings, imagination and manage their feelings. You should try and listen to your child read at least every other day, even if it is just the ingredients on the back of a packet of the information on a poster.
Working closely with the school will help the child learn new tasks
Teaching your child to cope with exam stress
From a very young age children are expected to undertake some sort of exams. The first official ones often happen in year one when your child may do a phonics check. This is a very informal test which is done in a classroom environment where you child will be asked to read out a certain list of words. Not all of the words are really words, and it is used to check their understanding of sounding out. The following year your child will do their first SATS exams. Again in Key stage one these are quite informal but some children can still get very worried about them. Throughout the rest of their school life they will again be tested at regular intervals and in year 11 will do their GCSE’s.
It is very important that you talk to your children about exams and their worries and help to reassure them. Early tests and exams are often done without the children really being aware of them but you may still want to talk to them about it. Some parents feel it is better not to say anything but if your child is already mentioning it or has questions it is better for them to feel they can talk to you.
Helping your child come up with a revision schedule and trying to ensure they stick to it can help take away the feeling of stress. If you are struggling ask their teacher for some advice as to how they can structure revision and what you can do to help aid it.
Coping with the stress of exams
It doesn’t matter how old you are or how many exams you have done, put anyone in those sorts of sterile exam conditions with the added pressure of a time limit and it’s enough to put the most level-headed person into a state of heightened anxiety.
With this in mind it is therefore perfectly normal to feel that way during a period of exams at school or college. You want to do well and may be worried of the outcome of the exam and how it will effect future life decisions such as attending a university of your choice or getting a certain job.
Without being able to eliminate these stresses it is important to understand how to deal with them and below are some tips that can help.
Meditation can really help to clear and relax the mind, if you struggle to do this there are many online videos and media tracks that can help you to do this in your own time at home.
Staying active will also help and light exercise such as going for a walk will boost your blood flow and the fresh air will help to clear your head.
Good preparation is key to doing well in your exams so careful planning and revision will give you all the tools you need for a good grade.
Eating well is also very important as foods such as oily fish with omega 3 and high proteins can actually help your concentration levels. Avoid high carb high fat foods as these can make you feel tired and sluggish.