For this week’s spotlight we are interviewing teachers on finals prep. Next we have Mr. Schmitz!

• What finals schedule do you prefer? Three days or four days?

  • As a teacher, the finals schedule does not matter too much to me, however I have not noticed a significant difference in grades between either finals schedule. Students seem to either be prepared or not.

• Do you like doing tests or projects for your final?

  • I typically do tests for the final rather than projects because it is tough to create a project that is cumulative.
• Do you have any advice for students who are stressed about finals?
  • For students who are stressed about finals, the best piece of advice I have is to listen to the teachers during finals prep. Your teachers want you to be successful in your finals just as much as you do, so we are going to be giving you as much of the important information as possible to help you prepare for finals.
• What are some coping strategies (if any) you use for test anxiety?
  • For students who are looking for coping strategies and skills, one strategy is to fill the notecards that teachers offer with the information that you don’t feel comfortable with rather than putting every answer to the study guide questions. Sometimes having too much info on the notecard makes it difficult to find what you need during the exam. The other tip for test takers is to control your breathing and heart rate during the exam. If you allow yourself to get worked up during the exam, stop trying to answer questions until you are able to calm your nerves. Trying to answer questions when highly stressed won’t go well.

• Do you have any study tips for students?

  • Study tip: Get off the chromebook/phone. Print your study guides and hand write your answers as a way to get away from the distractions that your devices provide. Reward yourself with short breaks to look at your phone only after periods of productivity.