Deborah Jepsen | August 13th, 2010
Success begins with you...one piece at a time!
The year is past half way and many students should be thinking about preparing for the end of year exams. Here are a few tips:
- Do something – even if you don’t feel like it!
- Focus on your goals. What do you hope to achieve by the end of the year? How will you feel when exams are over?
- Live in the present. Don’t put off untill tomorrow what you can do today.
- Study with a friend.
- Write checklists and tick them off when you have done each task.
- Stay organised, but don’t confuse organising your work with genuine study.
- Write notes, learn notes and rewrite notes.
- Look at past exams and understand the exam format so there are no surprises in the exam!
- Do as many practice questions that you can get your hands on.
- Have a good attitude towards study. (Yes, you can do it and you can do it well!)
Quote of the day:
Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what to do. Attitude determines how well you do it!
– Aldous Huxley
No Comments filed under: Opinion, Study Skills, Teaching Strategies
Deborah Jepsen | February 25th, 2010
Ten General Principles of Instruction for Teachers to Help Kids with Learning Issues
Help kids experience success!
- Involve the student – students need to be involved and actively engaged in their learning. Teachers need to discuss each aspect of the program with the child. Goals that are set together are far more effective than those set by the teacher. Talk with the student about the approach to learning they will take and ask for feedback. Teachers need to ask the student how they are feeling about the process and understand what is working and what needs adjustment.
- Use multi-sensory teaching methods – students need to see, hear, say and write what they are learning! Teachers need to be as creative as possible.
- Teach students to use logic rather than rote memory – students can learn about spelling rules rather than only relying on their memories. In maths, teach students about logic.
- Present materials sequentially – use the metaphor of building a house and work slowly and sequentially.
- Present material in small units – don’t overload the student. They need small manageable chunks of information.
- Practice, practice, practice and review – always spend part of the lesson reviewing what was learned and review the previous lesson at the start of each lesson.
- Help students organise time and space – use a diary or calendar to assist in planning and always have spare pens and pencils ready to give to students.
- Individualised instruction – where possible, one-on-one time is highly beneficial.
- Always be aware of the emotional climate – if a student is really struggling and it is affecting their self esteem and mood, be prepared to switch to something else; preferably something the student is really good at!
- Laugh a lot – learning needs to be fun, especially if you want to convert students into lifelong learners.
No Comments filed under: Learning Disabilities, Opinion, Teaching Strategies
