Term4 Check in

Slide1

Our Students, Their World

This is for TEACHERS' REFERENCE ONLY.

The following notes is to help teachers understand the context when preparing for the Term 4 Check-in Lesson Activity, and not meant to be shared with students.

Term 4 is typically a fast-paced term as students prepare for the upcoming Year-End/national exams. Exams are often perceived as key milestones with high stakes, and may evoke high levels of stress and anxiety in some students.

This check-in lesson activity aims to provide time and space for students to share their thoughts and feelings towards starting the term and address the perceived high stakes of the upcoming exam through reframing. When students identify areas that are within their control as they prepare for the exam and take care of their well-being, it engenders a sense of agency and hope. Encourage students to take care of their personal well-being and start the term on a hopeful and positive note.

Teachers play a key role in facilitating the discussion in class and looking out for students who may require more support during this period.

Images from CANVA

Slide2

Teacher's notes:

•This is a 45-minute activity that aims to:

oAllow students to reflect on and recognise their personal progress and growth for the year. Get students to affirm and encourage themselves and their classmates to face what lies ahead in Term 4. (10min);

oProvide students with time and space to share what they are excited and worried about in Term 4 (10min);

oHelp students prepare for the End-of-Year exams and provide them with practical handles to manage stress and anxiety (20min);

oEncourage students to identify one thing they are looking forward to in Term 4 (5min)

Pre-lesson preparation:

•Modify slide 9 according to school and/or class events

Slide3 (10 min)

Teacher's notes:

•Allow students to individually reflect on their personal progress and growth for the year so far (Term 1 – Term 3) by asking them "What is one thing you did that you are proud of this year?"

Slide4

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Teacher's notes:

•Provide scaffolding and give some examples of what students can reflect on, highlighting that no progress or growth is too small to be celebrated.

•Reinforce that students can reflect on many areas in their life. Teachers should expand students' definition of growth and progress beyond academics or conventional achievements like awards.

•If comfortable, teachers can also share their own thing that they are proud of.

Slide5

Teacher's notes:

•After students' individual reflection, conduct an activity of Musical Shares (invite students to walk around the classroom while music plays, when the music stops, they are to get into pairs or group of 3s with a classmate close to them), and invite students to share with their classmates what they are proud of, using the sentence stem "I am proud of myself because…"

•Repeat the activity at least twice to allow students to share and talk with different classmates.

•Invite some students to share with the class.

•Affirm students and, where applicable, add your observations, for individuals or collectively as a class, of how students have made progress and overcome challenges.

•If students are unable to articulate what they are proud of, teacher can share an observation about the student and what the teacher was proud to see them do.

Slide6

Teacher's notes:

•After students' individual reflection, invite students to draw something they are proud of for the year. Teacher may choose to conduct this activity in one of the following ways:

oIn rows or groups, allow students to come up to the whiteboard to draw. As groups of students are drawing, allow the rest of the students to share their responses with their shoulder partner.

oGet students to draw individually on their mini whiteboards or a blank piece of paper. Invite students to share their drawing with their shoulder partner.

•From students' drawings, invite a few students to share with the class.

•Affirm students and, where applicable, add on your observations, for individuals or collectively as a class, of how students have made progress and overcome challenges.

•If students are unable to articulate what they are proud of, teacher can share an observation about the student and what the teacher was proud to see them do.

Slide7

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Slide8

Teacher's notes:

•Encourage students by highlighting their progress thus far and highlight how much they have grown and learned.

•Reinforce that as they begin their last term, there are still more experiences, both exciting and challenging, but assure them that because they have made it this far, they can be confident that they have what it takes to face Term 4 as well.

•Remind students that they are never alone and that together as a class and with their teachers, they will all finish Term 4 well together. 

Slide9

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Teacher's notes:

•Share with students the timeline for Term 4, especially significant holidays and school events.

•Using Think-Pair-Share, get students to share what they might be looking forward to and what they are worried about.

•Invite some students to share with the class. Thank and acknowledge students' responses.

•From students' sharing, focus the conversation on the End-Of-Year exams and provide the opportunity for students to talk about their thoughts and concerns about the examination.

•Validate all emotions and thoughts, emphasising that it is normal to feel differently about the same event.

•

Note: Teacher can include more events into the slide based on the school's calendar. 

Slide10 (20min)

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Teacher's notes:

•Teach students that there are always things they can do when they feel stressed and anxious about the End-of-Year (EOY) exam.

Slide11

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Teacher's notes:

•Share with students that there are different things they can do at different stages of the exam to help them manage their stress and anxiety.

•In the next few slides, get students to think and share what they would do pre-, day of and post-exam to help themselves feel better if they are feeling stressed and anxious about the exams.

Slide12

Teacher's notes:

•Ask students if any of them relate to the statement on the slide.

•Share with students that even though their exams are some weeks away, some of them may have started feeling worried (especially for P3 who are taking a major exam for the first time).

•Teachers should take care not to bring about greater stress or worry, especially for students who do not feel worried at all. For students who do not feel worried, get students to share why they do not feel worried and highlight any helpful thoughts and mindsets that other students can adopt to reframe negative thoughts.

•Invite students to share what they currently do to help themselves manage their stress and worry, especially if they relate to the statement on the slide.

•Affirm good practices that students share.

Slide13

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Teacher's notes:

•Adding on to students' own suggestions and strategies, teach students that one way they can manage their stress and anxiety is to make sure that they prepare well.

•Teach students that they can plan their time well by creating a study timetable. This helps them not to be overwhelmed by what they need to revise. Planning their time well also helps them avoid last-minute studying and cramming which can cause them more stress.

•Next, teach students that they can also create a weekly or daily to-do list of the chapters and topics that they need to revise. They can put a tick beside each item on the list when they have completed them. This also helps them know for sure how much they have studied, and helps them remember what they need to do.

•Assure students that they can approach their teachers for help with revision tips and to clarify questions they have.

•Reiterate that students should not stay up late at night to study. Sleeping late means that they will feel more tired the next day and this may affect their mood and cause them to feel more stressed.

Slide14

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Teacher's notes:

•Remind students that even as they prepare for their EOY exam, they should not neglect taking care of their minds and bodies.

•Explain that when they take care of their minds and bodies, they will feel good and be better able to manage the stress.

•Ask students to recall the ways they can take care of their minds and bodies:

oEat healthily and exercise regularly

oGet at least 9 hours of sleep

•Recap with students the benefits of sleep:

oHelps them remember what they have studied better

oHelps them feel rested and alert the next day

oMakes them healthier and happier

•Recap that the should have at least 9 hours of sleep and that they should avoid using their digital devices at least 1 hour before bedtime so that they can get good quality sleep.

 

Slide15

Teacher's notes:

•Ask students if they have ever experienced the situation in the slide.

•Assure students that feel worried and anxious during the exam is normal. Reiterate that if they do not feel worried, that is also normal. It is normal to feel differently.

•Recap that students may experience physical reactions like a faster heartbeat, sweaty palms, stomach ache and headache. These physical symptoms are normal but they should first check if they are sick.

•Get students to share what they do when they experience this during a test or exam they have taken.

Slide16

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Teacher's notes:

•Explain that right before or during the exam, they may start to feel worried and nervous and may have many negative thoughts in their head.

•Teach students that what they can do is to manage their emotions and change their negative thoughts to more helpful thoughts.

•Share that doing calming down exercises can help them to slow down their heart rate and help them feel calmer.

•Explain that when they are calm, they will be able to think clearly and feel more comfortable and confident.

 

Slide17

Teacher's notes:

•Set aside some time to practise deep breathing with students.

•Explain that it is important to learn how to do deep breathing so that when they feel stressed and worried, they are able to do it easily to help them calm down.

•Following the animation on screen, get students to take a deep breath slowly (for a count of 3-5), and to exhale slowly (for a count of 3-5). Share that students can imagine that they are blowing a huge balloon slowly or blowing out candles slowly.

•

Slide18

Teacher's notes:

•Ask students if they have experienced or felt similar to what is shown in the slide.

•Explain that, sometimes, even though the exam has ended, some of them may still feel worried and stressed. This could be because of different reasons. Some of them may feel like they will not do well; some may start comparing answers with their friends and get worried when they think they got many answers wrong; some may feel worried because they do not know what results they might get and not knowing what might happen can be stressful.

Slide19

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Teacher's notes:

•Explain to students that while some of them may feel like asking their classmates about their answers and talking about how they did during the exam, this can cause them to feel more stressed and anxious, especially when it leads to negative thoughts about how they have done during the exam. Some of them may also repeatedly think about the questions and answers of the previous exam which can also cause them to feel uncomfortable emotions.

•Share that they can avoid talking or repeatedly thinking about their exams if they know that it will cause them more stress. 

•Instead, encourage students to do things they enjoy to relax and take their minds off of the exams. Emphasise that it is important to take a break, especially after a stressful period.

•Reiterate that if they continue to have strong uncomfortable emotions or negative thoughts that do not go away, or if they are unable to manage their strong emotions immediately after their exam, they should talk to a trusted adult about how they feel.

•Remind students that it is important to find helpful and safe ways to cope with their emotions and they should not do anything that might hurt themselves or others.

Slide20

Teacher's notes:

•Share that not everyone may feel the same way or have the same experiences as the examples given and that is okay.

•Remind students that what is important is that they know themselves best by knowing what causes them stress and they know what to do to best help them manage their stress.

•Encourage these students that they can look out for classmates who may be feeling very stressed and help to support them.

Slide21

Teacher's notes:

•Recap the LOOK poster and remind students to look out for these signs of too much stress in themselves and their peers.

•Remind students that if they experience these signs or observe these signs in their peers, they should talk to a trusted adult like their parents/ guardians, teachers or school counsellor.

•Emphasise that they are not alone and that reaching out for help is a strength and not a weakness.

Slide22

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Teacher's notes:

•Remind students that while the end-of-year exams are important, they are just one part of the many things in Term 4.

•Help students see that it just one of the many other milestones in their journey through the year and throughout their Primary school life.

•Reiterate that the end-of-year exams is just an opportunity for them to check their understanding of what they have learned. 

Slide23 (5min)

Teacher's notes:

•As a check-out, invite students to write down on a post-it or a slip of paper one thing that they are looking forward to in Term 4. Encourage students to consider something that they will enjoy, either as a class or personally.

•Look out for students who are not able to think of anything that they are looking forward to and follow up with these students.

oCheck on students' check-in survey responses to identify other areas where these students may be struggling with or are worried about.

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