Teaching Tip: starting revision

1= ‘I could take this exam right now and ace it’ test ready

2= ‘I definitely learnt this, could probably blag it and have a 50/50 chance of success’ revision

3= ‘Never seen this in my life’ initial learning

Steps:

1. Take an A5 piece of paper and turn it landscape

2. Divide into 3 sections numbered (from l to r) 1 2 and 3

3. Open your textbook. Look at the table of contents. Go to a chapter/unit.

4. Skim and scan for broad topics.

5. Assess whether this topic fits into 1,2 or 3. Write it in.

6. Repeat for every subject/topic

Anything in column 3 is not ready for revision. It can’t be revised because you don’t know it. When we look it over/make notes/make a mind map we are not revising, we are learning.

Before revision takes place, we must get all the 3s into column 2.

Then we can revise, because realistically, anything in column 2 will give us at least a chance of success. Column 3 is a total crap shoot.

Aim for next year? To have no 3s by revision time. This stands for unit tests, term tests, end of years and certainly GCSE/A levels.