Keep calm and carry on teaching

As SAT’s loom ever closer, our consultant teachers Kenny and Kelly are on hand with handy top tips to avoid cramming and help your pupils prepare for exams through thoughtful re-assurance and guidance.

The pitfalls of exam preparation

In the lead up to the SATs there is often a hive of activity in schools where ‘cramming’ is effectively put in place so that pupils can do their ‘best’. However, the information pupils will need will have been taught over a period of time and they just need re-assurance and guidance on how to retrieve this information. For pupils to perform at their best they need to feel confident and part of that confidence will involve knowing their class teacher has every faith in them doing well.

Staying calm during exam season

Teachers please stay calm, any emotion or anxiety you express in the lead up to the SATs is likely to have a negative effect on your pupils as they pick up on your tense body language. All the pupils need to know is that they have covered as much as they can do and that you are confident in their ability to do well. Use of positive non-verbal communication such as smiles and thumbs up are going to provide a welcome boost and reassurance for pupils without making them feel pressured in anyway.