Overwhelm is a constant challenge for students, especially in the senior years. That feeling of too much to do and not enough time.
Or not knowing precisely how to tackle or approach certain tasks. The feeling that everything is getting on top of them.
And although students can’t always do anything about the number of tasks they need to do or the deadlines for them, there definitely ARE things they can do to minimise the feelings of overwhelm.
Enter… ‘The One Window Rule’
I’ve discussed before how scheduled mini-breaks during study, homework and revision are important to keep brain power and retention at an optimum.
But, what should students do in those breaks?…
Watch the video to discover a great way to address (and have fun!) with this 🙂
P.S. This is an opportunity for parents to get involved in the fun part 🙂
We all have loooong to-do lists these days.
This means that we are often so consumed with thinking about ‘what’s next’ that we rarely stop to UNPACK – to reflect on or dissect what we have already completed and the results we got from it.
And when we don’t do this, we can be missing out on so much ‘gold’ in terms of feedback that can really help us ‘nail’ a lot of the upcoming items on our to-do lists!
Watch this week’s video to help your teen grab their nuggets of gold, by asking themselves 2 critical questions to quickly get useful information about how to create success for themselves.
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!
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.
