Easter generally offers the final time when your pupils can sit back and relax. That’s because once the students are back in the classroom they’ll be on a one-way road to the exam period. If you’re currently teaching in the UK, you’ll no doubt already be feeling the pressure to squeeze the best results out of your class when they return from their two-week break. If you’re after a few pointers to get you started, here are four hacks to help you snap your pupils into exam mode after Easter.
‘The talk’
Yes, you’ll have probably gone on about how important the tests are for months on end to the point where you sound like a broken record. But when the holidays are over, you’ll need to have ‘the talk’. This is essentially the time when you sit everyone down, ask for their undivided attention and remind them that the next few months couldn’t be more crucial. Ideally, this will come on the first day back following the Easter break.
Countdowns
You’ll know that six weeks can just pass by in the blink of an eye – meaning that before you know it everyone will be sat at their desks sitting their exams in May and June. Unfortunately, your pupils could still consider the tests to be lightyears away. As a constant reminder that the exams are looming, introduce a daily countdown so that your pupils never lose focus. It might sound a bit intimidating, but it’ll do the trick.
Pop quizzes
Pop quizzes are a necessary evil that have been used in classrooms for years upon years. They’re valuable for multiple reasons – for both pupils and teachers. For the students, it’s an unexpected opportunity to see whether they have been putting in enough revision. Meanwhile, for the teachers, it’s a chance to see who’s not been pulling their weight. Once you have this information, you can use it to your advantage.
Displays
If you’ve got time, you could create an eye-catching exam display. It could contain little bits of revision advice along with the dates of the upcoming tests. Essentially, it’s a more light-hearted and creative method of getting the message across that the exams are fast approaching.
They’ll be over soon!
Don’t worry, the exams will be over soon and you can give yourself a big pat on the back for all your hard work. In the meantime, follow these hacks and you should find success.
