Monday, May 8th! Using the microscopes….

Hello Everyone!

Today we had the quiz, and thank you to everyone who took the time to review the material from our unit at home. Thank you, as well, to the students who helped with review by posting questions on the blog. Some of you still need to finish, so you can do that tomorrow morning, as the online form is only available in class. Don’t worry — the quiz was a bit long, and it is okay to take extra time.

We talked together about how to study with success! Here’s what you said worked:

  • Write down key terms from what you read. Put them into Quizlet, an app that can quiz you about these terms.
  • Write down key terms and have someone else go over them with you.
  • Look at your notes and the highlighted parts of your reading (by highlighting the key terms when I ask you to, then you are already ready to go!)
  • Posting questions on the blog and then answering them.

When you are taking a quiz, there are some strategies to think about:

  • If you don’t know something, don’t beat yourself up! This happens. Don’t obsess about the question for too long thinking the answer will magically appear. Move on to the next question.
  • Try to stay calm when taking your quiz. Breathe, take breaks, stretch if you need to, and move to an area of the classroom where it works for you to think.
  • Try not to immediately give up and have anxiety when a question is tough. Not all questions are straightforward. Sometimes thinking is involved. Make it your goal to tell yourself, when things are tough, “You know, this is tough, but I will do my best, and that is all I can ask of myself!”
  • Don’t take too long on one question. Read the question carefully, ask yourself what the question is asking for, and then focus on just answering it. Don’t give too much extra detail, as you have more questions to answer.
  • Get sleep before a quiz day and make sure you eat well. Bring a snack to school every day, but particularly on quiz or project days when you know you need the energy.
  • Remember that the teacher isn’t “mad” when you don’t know something. They will encourage you to keep reviewing. They may point out that you could have spent more time studying. But this feedback is designed to help you. 
  • YOUR WORK is not a reflection of WHO YOU ARE. Sometimes the work is good, other times it is not as good. But that doesn’t mean that you are not a good person or that you are terrible at doing things. 

Tonight, continue on work assigned Friday, and if you are behind in ART, take your art home to draw for 15 minutes.

Tomorrow, a blog entry by the class on the pros and cons of fidget toys. Let’s have a class meeting to discuss!

Ms. D