As students prepare for assessments (whether performance or otherwise) their anxieties may increase. Helping students to discuss their anxieties and develop strategies for coping can help improve their chance of success.
This is a share & tear opportunity – students discuss and share solutions, and take away new ideas from each other.
In small groups, students discuss anxieties they may have around assessments. They make a list of these anxieties and create a second list of ways to overcome them.
The list of anxiety solutions is then shared with the whole group, to create one large list.
This can then lead to some troubleshooting, by analysing the themes of the anxieties and dealing with the ones that
can be dealt with (e.g. which anxieties are fears created through lack of information? What information is needed to
dispel the fear?).
You can also analyse the themes of the solutions – some may be techniques such as mindfulness, some may be
practical, organisational techniques, some may be around involving other people for support.
Finally, ask students to look at their own list and add solutions, with an extra note on how they can commit to those
solutions.
LARGE GROUP TEACHING
This can work well with large groups.
SUCCESS
Students have a clear plan of how to deal with anxieties.
NEXT STEPS
If there are many anxieties, it make be useful to involve Student Services with this activity.
