{"id":67361,"date":"2023-03-03T00:23:24","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T05:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=67361"},"modified":"2023-03-03T00:23:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T05:23:24","slug":"how-to-avoid-annoying-your-kids-and-getting-stressed-by-proxy-during-exam-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/how-to-avoid-annoying-your-kids-and-getting-stressed-by-proxy-during-exam-season\/","title":{"rendered":"How to avoid annoying your kids and getting \u2018stressed by proxy\u2019 during exam season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nI knew assessment season was upon us when my son frantically asked me one morning before school if I had any spare pens in my bag. Despite the fact most tests have moved online, it appears the fear of ink in a pen running out remains a timeless stress factor.<\/p>\n

This will likely be a familiar scenario. With NAPLAN moving to March and Year 11 and 12 students already in the throes of multiple assessments, exams are looming for many households with school-aged children.<\/p>\n

This is likely to be stressful for parents as well as students, as families cope with pre-test anxieties and perhaps, different approaches to study and learning.<\/p>\n

Exams are not the most important thing in life or in school. There is a\u00a0valid ongoing debate<\/a>\u00a0among education researchers about the use of standardised testing. This comes on top of a welcome shift towards\u00a0developing lifelong creative learners<\/a>, rather than kids who focus on tests.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, how can we help our children manage this testing time?<\/p>\n

Kids will likely do things their way<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As parents, it is important to be aware of how your own school experiences may impact how you respond to your children sitting exams and preparing for them.<\/p>\n

Perhaps studying came easily to you or it was very important to your identity growing up. Perhaps you have regrets about your involvement or engagement (or lack thereof) in school. Your natural instinct may be to try too hard to ensure your child does not replicate that experience.<\/p>\n

Additionally we all have different ways of studying or revising information. Multiple\u00a0systematic reviews<\/a>\u00a0have debunked the notion of \u201cpreferred learning styles\u201d or the idea that students prefer learning through seeing, listening, or physically engaging with a subject. But children may still approach learning differently to us. So we need to ensure our support is tailored to their needs, rather than our preferences.<\/p>\n

How to really annoy your kids<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a recent\u00a0TEDx talk<\/a>\u00a0I gave on the teenage brain and testing, I noted that, in my experience, one question annoys children more than any other:
\nWhy aren\u2019t you studying?<\/em>
\nInterestingly, the word \u201cassessment\u201d can act as a great guiding point for parents wanting to help their children during tests and exams. The word \u201cassess\u201d in Latin is the combination of two words meaning \u201cto sit by or sit beside\u201d.
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