I teach middle school Science, and one of the many things I emphasize is study skills. I have shared with my students the importance of studying every night, even for a short period of time, so they are not cramming everything in the night before the test. I have made numerous suggestions on how to study, including flashcards, highlighting, consistent review, making-up quizzes for themselves, etc. I provide, two to three days ahead of time, the test content, so students can focus on exactly the material they will be tested on. I very much want my students to be successful, but I find that, even with all of these techniques in place, students are still failing tests and are not holding themselves accountable.
What do you see in your classrooms when it comes to study skills? How do you teach your students to study? What techniques do you have in place to assure success? Testing is not the only assessment in Science class, but I'd love to see more successful test scores. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions!
