are we ready?

I was just going over some quiz surveys in which I noticed that many students did not feel prepared for the quiz.  What was surprising is that many of them had put in hours of work and some of them actually did well on the quiz.  Which prompted me to think are they really not prepared or do they lack confidence.  So some thoughts on how to get rid of those nagging self doubt issues.

1.  Do not compare yourself to others.  It is a losing battle as you can continue to find people that might appear better than you.  It amazes me how many students tell me that they did not do well on their SAT's.  Usually when I hear there actual score it is quite impressive, would probably get them into the college they would like to attend but might not hold up against a couple of their friends.  Let it go and just compare yourself to yourself not to others.

2.  Have a growth mindset, see quizzes, tests etc. as just temporary assessments telling you where you are at the moment.  Do not worry about the grade as much as what you can learn from the assessment and how that will help you move forward.  Remember if you are struggling, working hard you are growing your economic brain muscle (in my class, different muscles in different classes).  See it as an opportunity to learn.

3.  Know that you belong.  Often students wonder do I belong in this college?  Do I belong in this class?  99% of the time the answer is yes.  To get into the class your teachers recommended you, counselors sign off on it and you yourself registered for it.  It is highly unusual that all three of these parties made a mistake.  There are many students who failed the first test, first quiz and first quarter but still crushed the course as a whole.

4.  Set goals within your reach.  You should not set a goal for an A on the next quarter if you failed the first quarter.  Set a goal that will make you happy and that will show that you improved over a period of time.  Think of the obstacles that have faced you and how you can overcome them.  I usually set three sets of goals.  My stretch goal which would be it was an exceptional year, another goal for a good year, and then a third goal which if I did not achieve would mean I really have to rethink what I am doing.

5.  Self reflect.  Ask yourselves each day did you do your best to engage in the class?  Did you do your best to focus on the homework?  Have I tried different strategies to make myself successful?  If you keep reflecting on your own performance you will improve.

Coming into any exam thinking you are prepared is a huge advantage so try to get into that mindset.  You should come into the exam thinking I can teach this material and it is probably a good exercise to stand before a mirror and attempt to teach it.  Develop a list of questions that students might ask and make sure you can answer it.

Just some thoughts that entered my mind while I read my students reflections.  As always love to hear your thoughts and feedback on this subject.