I recently had the opportunity to speak to Year 7 and Year 8 students at their respective assemblies. At these assemblies I acknowledged that this is a particularly busy time of the term, and this is the case every term. The last three to four weeks of a term is often when knowledge and skill development across the term is being applied in an assessment.
I used the image of a roller coaster to connect with this time of the school year. Why?
Well, it may not be the perfect simile but there were two reasons I mentioned the roller coaster. Firstly, to acknowledge that learning is an emotional experience. There are a whole range of emotions that we may experience when trying to learn something, be it frustration or awe, and the sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when we have been able to apply our understanding successfully. Much like a waiting in line for a roller coaster and then the ride itself, the process of learning can make us feel excited, tense, worried and joyous. Such feelings are not uncommon, and it is not unusual to move back and forward between these emotions.
The second reason is to consider what strategies we may be able to use to better navigate the highs and lows and the sense of things racing out of control. Strategies such as having a routine for completing homework each evening and writing down the tasks to be completed in a session or week can help provide us with a greater sense of control over our time. Breaking tasks up into smaller chunks can also help us focus in on part of a task, help us with motivation and build some momentum, and reduce the sense of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. Breaking our study and homework time up into 20–30-minute blocks can also help us to remain focused and give a greater sense of purpose and can even out some of the emotional responses. When these strategies lead to success and routine, then there is a greater sense of control and of making progress. The more one rides a roller coaster, the emotional extremes lessen, or so I have been told.
To the Year 7s and 8s I mentioned that we may not get it perfect, but we will make progress in our time management. Once the task has been returned, students will undertake a reflection on SIMON underneath the task. That reflection is an opportunity to identify what has been achieved, the steps taken, and to also consider what may be done differently next time.
On SIMON students have access to the OLMC Study Habits Website that contains a number of resources on time management, motivation and goal setting.