Sometimes it can be really hard for students to get started on a larger task – an essay, a report, an extended response. They aren’t sure exactly what to write or how to begin…
Usually these tasks start with an Introduction.
And you know what?…. This is the problem!
Watch the video to find out WHY and the very simple (but hardly ever actioned!) solution 🙂
I was recently talking with a parent of one of my 10WGT graduates on the subject of tutors.
I’ve done a lot of subject-based tutoring in my time, and I still do a little now.
But this discussion, for me, all came down to one thing – and I think the decision comes down to this one thing for every student and their parents.
Something I refer to as finding the ‘leakiest hole’ and identifying the most effective way to fix it.
I explain all in this week’s blog video…
P.S. I mention in the video my free ‘Exam Special’ Parent info webinar! CLICK HERE if you’d like to register – I’d love to have you join me!
Let’s face it, positive thinking isn’t always easy….. Especially for students if they’re feeling swamped by homework and assignments or revision. Maybe they’ve just had a disappointing result from a piece of work.
I recently came across an alternative way of looking at this idea of positive thinking. I don’t much like the school of thought that says: “If we just believe that good things will happen, then they somehow magically will”!
If you know me by now, I’m not much into fluffy stuff – I prefer actionable and tangible so this week let me share with you my ideas and thoughts on useful beliefs that may help your teen deal with disappointing results or problems that might arise at school.
The student, the teacher and the examiner or assessor.
They all have a different perspective.
They are all focused on different elements and are looking for different things.
This is why it is so important that your teen is able to SHOW they KNOW…
“Well in Y7 and 8 he was getting B’s, but as he moved through year 9 and now in Y10 he’s getting Cs and even a couple of Ds”…
This is not unusual and can feel like a bit of a mystery both to parents and to students. It can be a little worrying and disappointing.
So I want to share with you ONE of the reasons some students find their grades drop as they move into the higher year groups, even when their effort levels have stayed the same.
Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.
I’ve been hearing this theme in various guises a lot from students recently and I absolutely understand…
In my experience, this is the same for a lot of students.
Once they have the template, or a model answer, or a structure to ‘hang’ their own knowledge on, suddenly all that fog and fuzziness clears and they can move forward with writing their assignment, essay or extended exam response…
The reason I can so quickly see where students is going wrong, is partly from
over 8 years as a state and national examiner and coursework moderator,
partly from
over 11 years as an award-winning high school teacher,
and a LOT from the fact that I made almost all the SAME mistakes when I was a student.
I didn’t know any better.
And neither (unfortunately) do most students today.
So, I thought I’d share 4 of the mistakes I know I made back then, and now often spend time with parents and students highlighting and working on.
Evaluation – is one of THE highest levels of cognitive ability when it comes to the level of questioning or the level of response in exams and assignments.
However sometimes, this level of response, the ability to EVALUATE, is a little more subtle or trickier to identify.
There is a difference between staying in your comfort zone during lessons and assignments, compared to doing this in exams…
Students can be a bit ‘out there’ in their class oral or persuasive speech.
And students should definitely try out some higher level vocabulary or more complex sentence structures in their homework.
Now of course, to raise their results, they DO need to do something different to what they’ve always done…
As a successful student, your teen needs to be the interior designer, rather than the magpie.
The interior designer is able to work out what fits, what works, what’s necessary and what’s just clutter, and what makes something truly impressive.
Your teen needs to be able to create a clear plan, structure and design for their work before they start.
