With the exam season creeping in, both learners and educators are under duress as exams can be stressful for families and the school community.
Parents and teachers want to provide the right support, but it is not always clear what that should be.
Principal of Koa Academy, Mark Anderson, says the 2023 exam season is a milestone event. It is the year that the high-engagement online school has its first Grade 12 cohort writing matric exams.
“There’s typically pressure all-round when it comes to matric. Learners and their parents feel that there’s a young person’s future at stake, while matric results are regarded as a critical indicator of a school’s academic rigour impacting the institution’s track record and reputation.
“Everyone wants to see outstanding performances across the board. It’s important to recognise these high expectations upfront and put them into a proper perspective. There’s a certain degree of stress and pressure that is useful for driving performance, but if this becomes too much, it makes it impossible for even the most diligent of students to do their best. It’s about navigating a high-stakes time by finding balance,” added Anderson.
Hands off or on? How involved should parents be?
There is such a wide range of parent-child relationships in diverse family contexts that it is impossible to find a one-size-fits-all advice. What’s true, though, is that during exam season, most parents find themselves treading fine lines.
Anderson says: “It can help parents to think of their involvement during exam time in terms of the optimal role they could play. In my view, this is about supportive accountability.
“For instance, instead of seeing their role as a driver of their child’s performance or staying completely in the background, parents are more effective as their child’s primary supporter. This means taking a keen interest but not taking over.”
Who’s the teacher?
Teachers play a critical role over exam season in preparing learners and keeping perspective. Typically, teachers cover study skills, and exam techniques and provide opportunities for test practice.
“It’s important for parents of learners in online schools to realise that they don’t suddenly need to become their child’s teacher. At Koa, our teachers work in small 8-person Pods and they are well-positioned to individually coach each learner through the exam preparation stage,” says Anderson.
Advice for learners – keeping things in perspective
Anderson says exams are not a sudden disruption to your school year, they are just part of the learning cycle. Everything you do throughout a school year works towards your performance in an exam.
“Working consistently on your classwork, courses and projects throughout the year is all learning and preparation that leads you to writing the exams. That’s why consistency wins the day.
“So, it is important not to see exam season as a surprise once-off, or even a disassociated event. Exams are embedded in your learning, and therefore your long-term effort pays off best at exam time,” concludes the principal.
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