How to make revision more engaging

The Demographic

Revision doesn’t have to be a daunting topic for students, there are many things you can do as teachers to help them realise it is neither a task or chore. Telling them to revise for 2 hours a night without their mobile phones is very unlikely to be the case for 99% of students. To help make revision seem more realistic, and therefore achievable, try showing them ways to incorporate their mobiles, tablets and other gadgets into their revision. For example, there are a variety of apps available that allow the students to select their specific curriculum for each subject and offers a variety of podcasts on each topic. Teenagers always have their headphones in anyway, so why not utilise that with these great apps!

Learner Types

When trying to instill a new topic into 30 heads in a classroom, it is hard to adapt to each student and what often happens is that the method being used will work for perhaps 50-75% but for the rest, it may be harder to memorise. There are learning theories that suggest that the 4 main ways an individual learns are either: Visually, Aurally, through Reading/writing, or Kinesthetically. If you, as a teacher, are aware of this, you have the ability to put all of these methods into one lesson or topic. For example, if a student is unsure after the initial explanation, try to get them to see it from a different angle or get them to try it themselves or even use music and pictures. Classroom learning doesn’t have to be pen and paper when it doesn’t suit certain individuals thus increasing the chances for success of your students.  

Timetables

Many students who struggle with revision do so because they don’t know when to do it, how much to do, or what to go over. When you have 9 exams coming up, choosing what to go over can be too much to handle to those who are severely stressed. Revision timetables are quick and easy to make, as well as adaptable to each person. They help to set goals, keep students on track, and cover the topics needed rather than having them revise what they already know because it’s easier than something they struggle with. With timetables, getting students to stick to them can seem challenging but this can be improved with rewards and incentives. An example could be asking them to bring in the work they have done the night or week before for you to see and then having a small reward for them such as 5 minutes extra lunch break or a sweet. This allows the students to not only keep motivated and on track, but also gives them the opportunity to ask you questions about where they got stuck while revising.