Final exams are stressful for everyone involved. Whether you are the teacher writing it, the proctor giving it, or the student taking it, nobody is having a good time. When the students are stressed out, its even harder to get them on board with the idea of taking a test for hours at a time. These are a few tricks that I use to instill confidence in kids before they take their final exam.
Give a practice test
While I love a good practice test, I prefer to give a diagnostic test. Let the kids take a mock final exam. Perhaps have them do it without studying just to see what they remember and what they don’t. This will help you to decide what needs to be reviewed in class and what you can skip. And when your students get a score, they will know, “I already know X% of the content for the final exam. I only need to go back and review Y%.” Realistically no student will get a zero (but you never know…) and this can let them know where they stand.
If they are unhappy with the score, as I’m sure many will be, remind them they did this with no studying, and they now have so many days to study on top of the targeted review you will be doing in class.
Go over old material
I’m not a huge proponent of going over the easy stuff for your final exam review. It’s usually a waste of time since the kids already know the easy stuff. But sometimes its a good idea to remind them of what they already know. Oftentimes, students are scared that they don’t remember anything at all. This gives them a confidence boost that this test isn’t going to be as hard as they think it is.
You should spend your class time going over the hard stuff with the kids. After that diagnostic, you can send the kids home to relearn the easy and medium stuff on their own.
Focus on the heavy stuff
If you know that a particular topic is going to make up most of the test content, make sure to review that. For instance, in chemistry I am super crazy about making sure my students know all of bonding, periodic table and intermolecular forces. If they know this, they will be able to do most of my test. This content makes up a hefty portion of the test questions.
These topics also can help my students to answer many of the other questions can be answered based on this chemistry content. For instance, the difference between an acid and a base can be narrowed down to ionic vs. covalent. Focusing your energy on content that is really going to make a difference on the final exam is going to be a huge play. It’s a great way to instill confidence before final exams. Tell the kids that this will be some cornerstone content for the test.
Be positive
I’m the person that gives all the tough love during the semester. I’m known to be really hard on them. When it comes time for the final exam though, I change my tune. “13 students have turned in every assignment this semester.” “18 of you are passing this class right now.” Of course, we all know to say things like “it’s just a test, everything will be okay.” But there are other ways that we can be more positive for our students. I like to focus on their accomplishments.
There’s some psychology to this. People will always want to be part of a majority when given the opportunity. Nobody wants to be the odd man out. Focusing on the positive can get the kids that are in the minority to be inspired to work hard and get their act together.
Give a confidence card
I don’t remember where the idea came from… Probably pinterest because I’m really not that creative… I took my Bitmoji and created confidence cards that I give to my students before their final exam. It’s a little cartoon of me wishing them luck, or reminding them that they are awesome. I let them keep the cards, but some will give them back after the test. I’ve had kids say that it really helped them. One in particular even said, “the card helped me to keep going when I thought I couldn’t do anymore.” It’s silly and even kind of embarrassing, but if it helps one kid power through, I’m here for it.
Feed them breakfast if you can
Nothing is more distracting than a growling stomach. In fact, I specifically remember my stomach growling during my 9th grade science final exam. My maiden name stuck me in the dead middle of the classroom – center row, center seat. My stomach growled so loud that EVERYBODY turned to look at me. It’s really hard for me to be embarrassed, but for some, this would be totally mortifying.
Of course, I do remind my students to eat breakfast on their own, but I also like to feed them on the years that I can. I will often choose my peanut butter banana overnight oats. I eat them everyday. They’re cheap and delicious too! I used to make a second serving of oats for my students every once in a while. I’d give it out at random. It got to the point that the kids would argue over who got the second helping of oats I’d bring to school. Oftentimes the kids would share (GROSS!)
For final exams, I make two trays and bring bowls or cups, spoons and serving spoons.
Overnight Oats Recipe for a whole class
Mash 6-8 bananas over the bottom of the tray. Sprinkle 12-16 tablespoons of dehydrated peanut butter powder over the mashed bananas. Cover with about 7 cups of old fashioned oats. I get the store brand, and get old fashioned for their shape. Lastly, add about 6 cups of almond milk (or some milk alternative.) I like to get the unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but if you’re making this for a bunch of kids, something sweetened might be a good idea.
Place this in the fridge and don’t mix it until you are ready to serve. The almond milk will soak into the oats and the peanut butter powder as it sits. Mixing too soon will cause the banana to oxidize and the kids will cry about brown bananas. Trust me on this one. If you’re interested in the recipe for yourself, or in making individual cups (not recommended, but I get it) check out this blog post.
Send them off with a smile, and check on them if you can
In New York, the rules about the classroom teacher being in the room for final exams are super strict. But I always made sure to visit my students before their test to wish them luck and give them my final reminders. “Use your reference tables. When in doubt, it’s the electrons. Take a deep breath, it’s just a test.”
Occasionally, I get the opportunity to wave to them during the test and give them a thumbs up. If you can swing it, do it. The kids notice that you’re in the hallway rooting for them and it really means something to them.
