Finals Prep

58) Have students take finals in the OLC….try to limit to like 2 (is there more details in this document…how I do it ?)

63) Help Level I students get accommodations on normal things, and especially for the Finals. You need to have them on the radar siempre and let them know. What I have mainly done is have them get the extra time that is needed (having them text me and I will scoop up the test)…and also giving essay graphic organizers to help with ELA (i.e. I’m slipping a graphic organizer into Nicky’s test on Tuesday morning before the mid-term)

64) For students who are testing in the OLC for a given test (I usually tell students to pick two finals) it seems to work pretty smoothly where I just go to the office in the morning and find the students name on the envelope, write a note saying they are with me and then scoop the test and give it to the content teacher later on. (SEE NOTE BELOW ABOUT MARTI)

- for kids wanting peace and quiet, testing in OLC may not be the best situation. It’s more for chilling and talking and walking around and doing your thing. Cats like Rita don’t need that.

65) Have a folder with the schedule, all the graphic organizers you will be giving them for different classes, the study guides for all the classes, calendar templates to fill out for the students, the master suggested study template

66) Considered putting your master "study calendar" on Google Map and having the students get it on there and follow with it.

67) I have some things on Moodle (ppts and other files)

- it is a pretty good place to start

- they can also be found embedded at the top of this page

68) Students really like to use my “Graphic Organizer for Basic Essay”….for English, for DBQs in History, Spanish, etc.

- I can either have them do them in my room if testing there, give to them with a note and they take to their testing room, or I can talk to teachers beforehand and attach this (or other specific Graphic Organizers) to their finals.

69)….. a good system that the testing coordinator worked out is for me to give him the names of the students who will be taking the tests with me and then he will help gather them in them in the morning, and then the break time between the tests he will send someone to me with the tests for the next test so I can stay here with kids with extra time and don't have to worry about kicking them out.

70) I have allowed some kids, while with me, to type the essay parts for various reasons. One reason is that they are more comfortable doing it and will do better. Another reason is for spellcheck b/c Spanish final is grading spelling on the essay…but that is difficult for cats with dyslexia and other things that have hindered their spelling.

71) For cats that need extra time, something that has worked out and made it easier since it is just me this year is to have the students ask the proctor to walk them over to my room if they need extra time. No fuss, no muss.

72) Read passages for Spanish (and other stuff) to the students….because they can be like five pages and just be too difficult and taxing for the students.

73) I try to assuage student’s fears about finals and let them know that generally their grade for the semester can drop 3-5% if they don’t do well.

(see below for example)

- A girl has Q1 of 73; Q2 of 80 and mid-term of 62. Without the midterm she would have 76.5…..with the midterm, (I think ), she will have a 73. So she was brought down by 5%

74) For the extra time I push kids to finish the exam in the hour they have before the next exam so as to avoid any ideas about cheating. I usually tell them to take a short break and then come back and try to knock it out. But there are times when they still need more time and I will let them finish it after 1pm

- furthermore, I usually tend to stay about two or two and a half hours after the test (3:30) with at least one kid finishing a test. I tell them to take it easy, they have as much time as they want, etc.

75) Sometimes kids need help with the scantrons…bubbling in. There are times when I will just have them write on the test, and then later on I will bubble in for them if they are having difficulty bubbling in the correct answers, or any other thing.

76) For some kids functioning at a lower level I let them know that any final grade over a 70 is a success…especially if they were studying for it

77) This is a little different…but goes along with this. I created a formula on my spreadsheet files that shows the semester grades based on the other grades (see below). This can help kids set goals of where they need to be in their midterms to stay off probation, for one example. It can also help kids figure out where they are at in terms of Semester grades before they come out (especially in June):