The end of the year means that tests and assignments are coming due. Your job is easier when students are on task and prepared for tests. This week's tips will help you give your students valuable strategies for getting through the last few weeks of school.
This Week's Tips
Help Students Use Time Wisely (Monday)
Instruct students on using their time wisely. Suggest they study in the same place and time everyday, if possible. It is best to pick a time when they have lots of energy (preferably during the daylight hours). They should make a quick list of what they want and need to accomplish during this time and begin with their most difficult subjects first. One idea for making use of smaller chunks of time for studying is by making flash cards. As an added bonus, the creation of the cards themselves is an activity that allows them to review the material.
Help Students Avoid Procrastination (Tuesday)
Keep tabs on student progress for longer projects. By breaking down assignments into smaller chunks that must be handed in regularly, you can help your students avoid procrastinating entire assignments. Alternately, you can require students to exchange outlines, rough drafts and other works in progress as part of a peer review exercise. This way students are kept on task throughout a paper or project, not overburdening you with paperwork.
Teach Students Memorization Techniques (Wednesday)
Practice memorization techniques with your students. Of course it is essential to build critical analysis skills, but students also need to learn techniques to retain facts. Visualizing facts or using schema webs help visual learners, while acronyms and acrostics may help auditory learners. Association techniques are also effective. Most importantly, have students take ownership of ideas by explaining the concept to a peer or writing notes about it in their own words.
Help Students Manage Stress (Thursday)
Teach students to harness their stress to leap into action. If they haven’t already done so, students should create a time-management plan for the remaining weeks of the year. In their plan, they can set priorities as well as realistic goals for themselves. Their work and attitude will benefit from learning a set of stress-busting skills.
Help Students with Test-taking Strategies (Friday)
Coach students in test-taking strategies. Communicate with students about the type of test they can expect in your class. Suggest specific study activities that you feel will be most productive to them.
