Achieve Study Goals

It wouldn’t come as a shock for most teachers to hear that the way students learn things differs from child to child. Some may absorb more from a hands-on experiment while others only need to see a diagram. These divergent ways of understanding a concept are called learning styles, and they’re both useful in the classroom and controversial. Learn more about what defines a learning style, which one fits you best, and how to use them in teaching. What are Learning Styles? Learning styles are simply the method of instructions that a person best learns information. There are four main learning styles that are generally agreed upon: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. The grouping of these four categories is referred to as VARK in education theory. There are many other theories about dozens of learning styles and their uses in the classroom as well. Students with visual learning styles absorb information best through visual tools such as images, maps, or diagram...

It’s hard to imagine going hours without using any sort of common technology in the course of our daily lives, but that’s exactly what happens in many classrooms across America. While education technology has grown as a field over the past few years, many schools and classrooms struggle with adopting new technology. Teachers and administrators face a multitude of hurdles and a general lack of support for education technology initiatives. What is Educational Technology? Increasingly, teachers are using technology in the classroom to aidlearning and make it easier to chart student progress. In many classrooms across the country, students are assigned laptops or tablets, which they use to carry out in-class research, lessons, and projects. Teachers also often use SMART boards which are interactive whiteboards with touch screens. Education technology also encompasses programs that can be accessed via the internet that teachers use to share homework assignments, quizzes, and othe...

The image of the bored, half-asleep, daydreaming teen sitting in a high school classroom is all too familiar for teachers. Most teenagers seem to treat school days like a prison sentence.  A recent poll found that the top two words teenagers most associate with school are “bored” and “tired,” and this probably isn’t all that surprising. With schedules that are often packed with difficult classes, homework, and extracurricular activities, teenagers likely find sitting in a desk for hours a day to be pretty low on the excitement scale. As teachers, the task of keeping students interested and engaged can often feel like a steep challenge. Teachers are competing with endless distractions, sleepiness, and a general lack of motivation. It may be a challenge to find new and inventive ways to help form a more positive view of the school experience for students, but it is a worthy challenge nonetheless. By implementing a few new engagement techniques, teachers may be able to encourage...

Startinga career in elementary or secondary education can be complex and difficult for many young teachers. Aside from preparing to manage a classroom and outlining lesson plans, new educators need to ensure they fulfill the proper teaching requirements. Navigating the certifications and degrees required for a specific speciality, state, and locality is challenging. However, it’s often to a teacher’s advantage to look past the basic requirements – possibly only a bachelor’s degree – and pursue an advanced degree. While it may add a little more challenge at the beginning, a master’s degree in education can provide a number of benefits immediately and in the long run. Teachers with a master’s in education have more job opportunities, better salaries on average throughout their careers, more upward mobility potential, and many other benefits. A Master’s in Education A Master of Education or Master of Arts in Teaching, abbreviated as M.Ed. or MAT, is a graduate degree designed ...

Studying is a stressful process that requires a constant devotion of your time and energy and it is inevitable. There are several factors that make studying stressful, such as, excessive worry about upcoming exams, binge-studying, trying to memorize, poor nutrition, insufficient sleep or exercise, competition from peers, etc. Excessive stress can induce sleep deprivation, negative thoughts, anxiety, and can interfere in your studying process. Therefore it is essential to understand how to deal with such stressful situations. Below are ten tips to help you reduce your stress levels and ensure efficiency while studying: 1.        Know what to expect:  The exam syllabus can be vast and studying is a stressful activity requiring you to devote much of your time and energy. Therefore knowing what to expect in the exam will help you focus on topics that are most likely to appear in the exam. It’s a good idea to consult your mentor/lecturer to know wh...

When we're stressed, our brains release  high levels of cortisol  which clouds the way we think and gets in the way of rational thoughts. Therefore, stressing about this stuff is likely to lead to you performing  less   wellon exam day than if you were totally nonplussed - it's a cruel world! In the long-run, taking steps to de-stress will increase your productivity, help you absorb more of the information you take in, and stop you from having a breakdown. Wins all round! 1.Prioritise your time Prioritising your time, subjects and workload will help reduce your stress levels , as you'll be able to ensure that the really important stuff is covered - and at the right time. If you've got more than one exam to tackle,  draw out a simple diagram  with dates of each exam and how many topics need covered for each. This will give you a clear idea of how much time you need to dedicate to each exam topic and when you need to get started on ...

Most college students panic before a final exam. Some stress is good and gets your adrenaline pumping. But too much stress–especially unwarranted stress–can be bad for your body and for your grades. 1. Prepare for your final exam in advance Learn ahead of time where the exam will be held. Ask your teacher what material will be on the test, what you should study , how the test will be graded and how much it counts toward your overall class grade. Find out what supplies you need or are allowed to have with you during the test. Prepare a strategy so you don’t waste time studying the wrong material. 2. Study efficiently Choose a quiet place to study and make sure you are not interrupted or distracted. Make sure you take regular breaks while you study. Keep your mind fresh and don’t try to cram every little piece of information in at once. Stay motivated, relaxed and focused while you study. It’s natural to feel like this. Take a break or go for a quick 10 minute walk. 3. Eat h...

Having goals in college can be a great way to stay focused, motivate yourself, and keep your priorities in order when things get stressful and overwhelming. But just how can you set your college goals in a way that sets you up for success? Think About Your End Goals What kind of goals do you want to achieve during your time in school? These goals can be large (graduate in 4 years) or small ( attenda study session for chemistry once a week for at least a month). But having a main goal in mind is the first, and perhaps most important step, in setting realistic goals. Be Specific With Your Goals Instead of "Do better in Chemistry," set your goal as "Earn at least a B in Chemistry this term." Or better yet: "Study at least an hour a day, attend one group study session a week, and go to office hours once a week, all so that you can earn a B in Chemistry this term." Being as specific as possible while setting your goals can help make your goals ...

1. Set targets which are challenging but attainable To make progress towards your career aspirations , you need to set targets which will challenge you; having a disability is no reason to limit your aspirations. Equally, setting unrealistic targets will simply leave you feeling demotivated; think broadly about your strengths and how you can pursue your passions through joining clubs or even starting a student society. These days, employers want more than just good grades. So whether you’re looking to participate in a new sport, or write for your university newspaper, ensure you request any support or adjustments you will require so that your targets are attainable; you are more likely to achieve targets which you can see yourself achieving, albeit with a fair amount of hard work! 2. Put your targets into context Whilst setting easy targets which require minimum effort may boost your confidence in the short term, making real progress in the long-term requ...

There are special studying routines that allow your brain to learn new information quicker. However, studying can be stressful if you’re not interested in the subject, or if there is either too much information or too little time. It’s important to overcome the first step of making it interesting for yourself and focusing completely on studying.   1. Make a study plan Planning is an essential part of studying correctly and with proper time distribution. Before you start studying make sure you devise a study plan which will help you allocate your time and resources properly.   2. Create structured goals Setting study goals is great—you try to complete a goal and reward yourself with something in return. However, a much better approach is to create structured goals that, when completed, lead to other goals or other activities   3. Develop study goal timescales Distributing time properly is imperative to getting good grades on exams. Try to figure out h...