The countdown has begun.
Not for the end of school. For high stakes testing.
Whether it is end-of-year state testing, graduation exams, or Advanced Placement tests, teachers everywhere are scheduling their last-minute crams to make sure that their students have every bit of information they might need to bump up their scores.
It can get intense. Especially in many places, like here in Indiana, where there is more at stake than ever: evaluations and next year's paycheck.
How about lightening the mood a little in your classroom and reviewing at the same time? After all, students learn more when they have fun.
Incorporating games to review the literary terms that pepper language arts test questions can be fun and still provide appropriate review. Especially when they are not those contrived video games that kids get to play when they have accomplished another boring set of review questions on their computer review program.
Group games and activities also build your classroom community. And after all, we are in this together.
Using popular culture examples for more advanced review can engage students, too. What student doesn't like discussing The Simpsons or Katy Perry in class without getting in trouble?
And if you can spare the time, let the kids create their own review games to share. Either way, students will be having fun, using higher order thinking skills, and reviewing at the same time. That's a sure-fire way to testing success.
If you don't have time to make your own games and activities, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for literary term review activities for high school students.
Above all, make it fun whenever you can. Your students and your blood pressure will thank you.
Not for the end of school. For high stakes testing.
Whether it is end-of-year state testing, graduation exams, or Advanced Placement tests, teachers everywhere are scheduling their last-minute crams to make sure that their students have every bit of information they might need to bump up their scores.
It can get intense. Especially in many places, like here in Indiana, where there is more at stake than ever: evaluations and next year's paycheck.
How about lightening the mood a little in your classroom and reviewing at the same time? After all, students learn more when they have fun.
Incorporating games to review the literary terms that pepper language arts test questions can be fun and still provide appropriate review. Especially when they are not those contrived video games that kids get to play when they have accomplished another boring set of review questions on their computer review program.
Group games and activities also build your classroom community. And after all, we are in this together.
Using popular culture examples for more advanced review can engage students, too. What student doesn't like discussing The Simpsons or Katy Perry in class without getting in trouble?
And if you can spare the time, let the kids create their own review games to share. Either way, students will be having fun, using higher order thinking skills, and reviewing at the same time. That's a sure-fire way to testing success.
If you don't have time to make your own games and activities, check out my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for literary term review activities for high school students.
Above all, make it fun whenever you can. Your students and your blood pressure will thank you.
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