How Teachers Can Help Students Prepare For Mentally Stressful Exams

It can't be stated enough that teachers play a huge role in a student's academic performance. How well teachers prepare their students mentally and emotionally before an exam could be the difference between a passing and a failing grade.

Work Towards An Interactive And Collaborative Atmosphere

YoungMinds advocate Alice Victor shared on The Guardian that teachers should remember to treat their students as human beings. They should be open to any queries and avoid condescending remarks. Interacting with students in an honest and professional manner greatly helps lessen their mental stress before an exam. 

Teachers should also bear in mind that students have varying levels of sensitivity. Remarks which are easily digestible for some may be totally distasteful for others.

At any rate, teachers are advised to adopt a kind and sympathetic demeanor. This will go a long way in making students feel comfortable in talking about their concerns. 

Students care about their future as much as their parents and school administrators do. They have already put enough pressure on themselves to excel in school. It would be very counterproductive for teachers to constantly badger students on how difficult and important an upcoming exam will be.

Long, Structured Learning Is Better Than Intensive Reviews

On the practical side of things, New Teachers pointed out that material should be properly broken up into meaningful segments for the next few months. This setup will maximize the students' understanding as they are given more time to absorb and ponder about the lesson.

Informing students about the lesson schedule is highly recommended. This discourages time-wasting during classes and lets students feel they are making progress with each passing discussion.

While on the topic of progress, teachers should be mindful about how well their students are keeping up with the lesson. Dream Box noted that there are numerous ways teachers can monitor their students' progress. There are dozens of computer programs that can help teachers in this regard.

Lastly, teachers must have ample time in reviewing what the class has covered during the whole lesson schedule. Teachers should rank the material into three types: "vital," "good to know" and "can get by without."