Yes! You can Finish Strong by Doing Well on Final Assessments.

First, let me tell you that I enjoy learning. I enjoy taking classes, writing papers, studying, learning some more and sharing my learning. If you would ask my family they would likely say that I like going to school and taking classes a little bit too much. However, one thing I do not enjoy is writing a test or sitting down for an exam. Those two events can be high stakes situations for me and for many of our students.

Some of our students might thrive in exams or tests. They love being able to answer every question with confidence and knowing that their studying has paid off. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone.

So how do we help students prepare for the end of semester assessments, whether they are exams, large projects, portfolios or tests of some sort? I don't believe there is one right way to do well on an exam or test. But, I do believe that there are things that we can all do to reduce our anxiety going into a final assessment that will set us up well for a positive result.

Some simple hints:

* plan ahead
     -  don't leave all the work or all of the studying for the night before - that's just too stressful even if you are doing well in a course

*break the work down into small chunks  
       - if you have a big exam with 6 units to cover, look at one unit a week or day for a few weeks or days prior to the exam
      - if you have a portfolio to put together - divide up the work, get one section done then start on the next

*take care of yourself

      - make sure you get enough sleep, eat properly and have some fun prior to the year end assessments and throughout as well
      - if you are hungry, tired or grumpy you won't retain as much when you study and you won't do as well on the final assessment

*plan study breaks
     - get up, stretch, shovel the driveway, play a game (one game- not 14 hours online) and then get back to studying

*complete your final assessment strategically
     - do the parts you know first, then go back for the ones you are not quite sure of, make educated guesses when all else fails
       - you can NOT get marks for things you don't answer - even if it is a complete guess you have more of a chance of getting something right with a guess than you ever will with no answer at all
      - remember - sometimes the test or exam itself may have information on it that will jog your memory or help you answer a question - so read the entire assessment

*do not give up
      - believe in yourself, try your best, make sure you think positively going in and realistically after you are done.

If you need more information on helping yourself, or your student, prepare for final assessments here are some links:

(Please note I have gone on to these websites. I have tried to pick links with good tips and as few advertisements as possible... but there will be some advertising... My apologies)

Teacher Vision - Test Taking Tips
Bright Education Study Tips
FastWeb 20 Study Tips

Last but not least: one video from Wellcast that may be helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPTh8OEBwEo

Christmas, Routines, & Anxiety AKA: How Do We Successfully Navigate The Holidays and Return to School Ready to "Do School" Again?

Christmas, Routines,  & Anxiety 
AKA:  How Do We Successfully Navigate The Holidays and Return to School Ready to "Do School" Again?

While some of us hate to admit it - routines are good for us. Routines give us a self-confidence that some may not fully grasp. A routine, from my research, reading and own experience, allows us to have self-confidence in knowing what is going to come next. Knowing what is coming next allows us to move with a higher amount of self-confidence and self-assurance.

Having said that, we LOVE holidays. We LOVE sleeping in. We LOVE staying up all night watching movies. And basically we LOVE giving up our routine. Well... at least I do! The giving up of our routine feels great... but it makes it hard to get back into the routine when the holidays are over. For those who deal with anxiety the switch over can be even more difficult. While routine is good for us, breaking routine and then having to work back into it is difficult even for those who do not struggle with anxiety. We dread it. We complain about it. We drag our feet getting out of bed. I think that's called being human.

There is good news however. There are things that each of us can do to help us get back into routine with out sending our anxiety sky-rocketing through the roof (like Santa's reindeer). These are also great ideas even if we don't struggle with anxiety.

Here is a short list of things that can help make the transition back into the routine of doing school easier:
*Eating properly.
*Getting exercise (even though we may hate exercising).
*Starting to go to bed at a regular time a day or two (or more) before the break ends.
*Getting up at the time we need to for school for at least a couple of days before going back. (Personally, I balance out the getting up early with a nap later in the day - one of the added benefits of holidays.)
*Starting to think about school and the upcoming semester end assessments.

Here are a few links that may be helpful if you are looking for more information:
Going Back to School by ReachOut (This is an American source but deals with returning to school after breaks)

The following two are Canadian sources. They deal with returning to school after summer holidays but are good articles and can relate to the Christmas break as well.

CBC's Back to School Advice
Coping with Back to School Anxiety - Anxiety BC

Anxiety BC has a number of great resources for parents and youth online. Please check it out if you are looking for more relevant information. Here is a link to their Anxiety 101 page. Anxiety 101: What You and Your Child Need to Know About Anxiety

If your child's anxiety is a concern (seems more serious than normal every day anxiety) please seek medical attention through your family doctor or a therapist. These articles are meant to help but can not replace medical help if it is required.


** Please note... All pictures are my pictures. Please do not copy and use for anything without permission. Thank you.

Stepping out into the World of Blogging... Step One...

Today is my first attempt at blogging. As we jump with both feet into the technological age (or did we already do that a long time ago), I am encouraged, challenged and inspired to try blogging. While this is actually a daunting challenge at this moment, I am hoping that this endeavor will allow me to connect with parents and students on a more regular basis on things that are important to all of us.

This adventure into publishing my thoughts is almost as scary as my first attempt at making my own Christmas floral arrangements for my yard. I had the individual parts, I understood the concept, and I had a generally idea of what I wanted the end product to look like but I wasn't sure if I had the skills, the artistic ability or the confidence to make my own floral arrangements. Once they were done, I wasn't sure if they matched the idea in my head and whether or not they were worthy of being displayed. That is kind of how I feel about this blog.

However, as a life-longer learner, and as a person who encourages others to challenge themselves to learn continually, I have decided that I am up to the challenge. I am going to see how this works. See what the response is and decide whether or not I want to continue in this new concept. As I step into this I have concerns like:who is going to read this? are my thoughts important? am I going to make a spelling mistake? will I know how to fix my mistakes? how can I ensure that my posts are valuable? accurate? helpful? encouraging? am I taking on more than I can manage?

These are just a few of my random thoughts at this point. But as I worry about some of these things, I am reminded that this is good for me. It is good for me to feel uncomfortable. It is good for me to be challenged. It is good for me to take risks. Students feel uncomfortable on a daily basis. Our students are challenged on a daily basis - and sometimes students are challenged minute by minute in classes.

Additionally, we ask students to take risks to deepen their learning. So, I remind myself that this adventure is good for me. I will learn. I will grow. I will make mistakes. I will survive. This will be a great adventure and hopefully have a positive impact on students and parents. Hopefully, the finished product will be worthy of your time.