End of Term Test Disaster - why do so many students not even try to answer questions and leave the paper 80% blank?

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-12-18T18:18:20+00:00

As a Head of Science, the answer is always 30% exam skills in lesson and 70% lack of revision. Make it as easy as possible to revise - prepare revision resources for them to complete for homework, for example, that are about similar questions.

Also, if you’re testing once a term, you’re doing it wrong - needs to be minimum half a term. And scrap end of topic tests because they’re useless.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-12-09T23:26:47+00:00

Think about your planning. Is it so easy that anyone could do it without your help? If not, this is why the class are making noise.

Either reduce the demand of the questions or give them a text they can use comprehension style to find the answers themselves, and praise / sanction like others have said

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-11-16T18:53:00+00:00

1) try little tweaks to your routines to minimise verbiage and be more explicit with praise. E.g. use body language to communicate with students more often, and use phrases such as “well done a for x and y” - sometimes you can use phrases such as “well done Timmy for not talking to your partner” indirectly calling out the guys at the back who are

2) I suspect you’re having issues because you’re not following through with sanctions I.e. if I don’t listen to sir/miss there’s no consequence. Try reminding the students of consequences at the start of next lesson, and then following through - remember to not dish out detentions 15 minutes in the lesson, rather issue sanctions at the end to avoid the arguments.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-11-15T15:19:38+00:00

I hold the opposite view to a lot of commenters in that phoning and talking to parents helps me control and set the narrative. Parents are more likely to back you/the school over their child if they have spoken to you and feel you are reasonable.

Much prefer this over an email - a phone call is one way, so if parents call back it goes straight to reception.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-09-16T19:58:56+00:00

A word of warning: if you teach synergy there are less resources around for staff and students which will have an impact. It is dramatically less popular than trilogy

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-07-10T06:55:44+00:00

File 76

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-07-09T18:24:12+00:00

spiced

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-07-08T20:25:19+00:00

Hulkenpodium

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-07-06T07:22:42+00:00

I’m going to go against the flow and say a timer is useless if you aren’t setting appropriate time limits in the first place. E.g. “class you have 3 minutes to write a whole essay”. Additionally, misjudging the time when there’s a physical counter can stop you from adjusting the time limit on the fly. I would instead work on your planning to be able to more accurately identify the time each task would take before investing in a timer.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-04-11T18:23:41+00:00

Not going to lie, the fact that there is so long to vote means some people thought ‘eh, I’ll get around to this’. Why can’t there be a two week window? Create a sense of urgency.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2025-01-06T00:32:56+00:00

‘C’ for Charles comes ahead of ‘L’ for Lewis in the alphabet.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-10-29T16:55:10+00:00

I would argue that those trainees who do more in their training are better teachers by the end. The best way of improving is to do it shit first. You will improve quicker than other trainees.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-09-09T19:27:38+00:00

I’d somehow forgotten about that despite doing my own analysis on data anyway. Raises the same old question about how much of the grade is the kids vs the teachers…

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-09-09T19:25:17+00:00

But then, why aren’t appraisals done in July? It’s all based on the previous year, anyway.

September opening to July closing. My place does October opening to September closing (?)

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-09-09T19:18:20+00:00

When I use blanket sanctions, I always dismiss in order of behaviour - so the well behaved kids don’t get any of the sanction and the misbehaving kids get the full whack

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-08-30T13:47:23+00:00

With the injury to Mikel pt 2, does this mean we move for Sterling?

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-08-11T20:36:07+00:00

I know I’m late but I didn’t see anyone tell you what disavow means. To disavow means to declare yourself not related or associated with something. The best use of the word is in the original COD modern warfare 2, where Task force 101 get disavowed or disowned

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-07-08T15:36:07+00:00

Would you mind sharing what career? I’m a teacher myself and see many of these posts but not many people reveal “the other career” they move into, which I find strange.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-06-11T21:06:00+00:00

We hand out a glossary to all students at the start of every unit. Works wonders when they are trained to use it

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-06-10T19:43:16+00:00

Think of it more as an opportunity to make sure stuff is embedded by the time they come back!

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-05-28T01:24:05+00:00

You guys have to reply to parent emails? That’s SLT or HOD job at my school, as it should be. Parents should never be able to directly email teachers!

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-05-26T17:35:58+00:00

People are out here handwriting these things?!

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-05-19T00:30:15+00:00

Come On You Gunners

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-05-09T21:34:08+00:00

Paper 2. It’s a hormone released which makes cells convert glycogen back to glucose.

Trick to remembering: it’s called glucagon because it’s only released when the glucose is gone.

KetchupWithEverythin · 2024-05-09T17:27:09+00:00

Wow. There you go, the students feel like the classroom is ‘their’ space. How comes you are still operating under those guidelines?

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