My room, the fahrenheit trap

Categories: Geography General

The heat was definitely affecting performance levels today - and the students were lackadaisical too ;-) Seriously, it was hard to keep focused in my oven of a room, and tomorrow is apparently more of the same. If there isn't the planned mass migration from classrooms into the school grounds that was scheduled for today, I might push for some work outside.

I'm trying hard to keep revision fresh ( a contradiction in terms?) yet still manage the past paper revision that students demand at this time of year. I think with s4 and Higher, I'll split some past papers around the class in small groups and put forward the students as teacher. When answers are presented, I and others can put in their tuppence worth. I might also, if time permits, show the red pen black pen technique, which a few of my students two years ago used with a bit of success.

I think with the benefit of hindsight, I have allowed pupils to rely too much on written notes etc this year. In the past four years, I have consciously tried to make people think more and copy less, but this year with both Higher and s4, I have done this only to be asked afterwards for a note and have succumbed. This is partly responsible for the courses taking longer this year than before, and I have to say that I don't think my classes are any better prepared than before. I wonder what students or other teachers feel about this? Is it better to learn by solving a problem yourself or do you feel an extensive note is something beneficial for certain parts of the course? I will consider this more in my homely furnace (hot and stuffy in winter also) tomorrow...