Exams can be pretty intimidating for students. When there’s
so much to learn for so many different subjects the pressure builds quickly. This
article will cover exam tips for teachers and how to help your students revise
for their big exams.
Talk About Different Learning Styles
Every student learns in their own way. There are four
learning styles that you should discuss with your class, visual learning,
auditory learning, reading/writing learning, and kinesthetic learning. Take
some time to discuss how each learning style works and encourage your students
to experiment with all of them before their exam period begins. This way they
will know what works best for them before they need to start revising.
Set Mini Exams
Giving your students new worksheets or mini exams to
complete in exam conditions is a good way for them to consolidate what they
have revised so far, get them used to the pressure of writing in exam
conditions, and it is a good way for students to see how much they have
learned. Have each mini exam cover certain sections can help students structure
their learning schedules and may even serve as a confidence boost if they do well.
Use Interactive Means of Teaching
Don’t just stand in front of the class and read notes with
them. Find a way to get them to show how much they have learned. Have students
teach the class, set up Q&A sessions led by the students and be there to
help them with anything they get stuck on, have students discuss their learning
techniques, etc. These types of activities are a great way for your students to
showcase what they have learned in interesting ways.
Motivate Your Students
Your students need to feel confident in themselves. They
need to know that they have what it takes to learn everything and pass their
exams with the right amount of work and dedication. Explain to your students
why exams are important. Exams add variety to student learning, they help
students and educators find weak points and correct them, they help students
consolidate everything they have learned, they are an efficient and effective
way of evaluating student progress and are used to provide valuable statistics.
By breaking exams down to their bare bones like this, students may be less
intimidated by them.
Covering the syllabus is only one part of preparing your
students for their exams. Taking the time to help them find the best ways to
revise, consolidate their learning and test them effectively makes a huge
difference in a student’s confidence. Using these tips, you will be able to
ease your students’ nerves and get them ready to ace their exams. For more
teaching advice you can access our free CPD courses, available for all
registered candidates, on our website. Register today to take the next step in
your education career and find the teaching position you’ve been dreaming of.