Final Week
This week marks finals for another tem; during this week, I see many students feeling overwhelmed in and out of class. It's at these times when students seem to need reassurance for their motivation and support for reaffirming direction in final projects, exams, and presentations.
Does anyone have 'best practices' that may be of use?
I often find that this is the point at which a reaffirmation of the student's goals is most essential. During the term, many students can continue on with school because they get used to the rhythm and schedule of courses and homework. Finals (and midterms) shake up that schedule and often force students to actually think about why they're going to all this trouble. At this point being goal-oriented, perhaps by discussing the student's dreams and career goals, can give them the push they need to overcome Academic Stagnation.
Conducting a self evaluation maybe useful at this time. The assessment can evaluate how they rate their performance in the course thus far, what they think their grade is and what they think it should be, and what and how they think they can end the course with a "bang"! Of course, some encouragement from the instructor is heavily needed.
I have had great success using infrequent short (5-minute)quizzes and brief (15-20 minute) examinations that direct students in their reading and studies. Occasionally, a short quiz can serve as an effective means of introducing or drawing attention to a new topic. Reassurance and support are then available in the form of useful study guides, that is, the returned, annotated tests. These short tests (which are not always graded for credit) are prepared so as to assist the students in processing and organizing the material. While the tests include topics addressed in the final examination, they do not simply "teach to the answers."
