Taking Tests
Deena Shaffer Deena Shaffer

Taking Tests

For all, we might be wondering how to best support the students in our lives with the quizzes, tests, and exams they’re facing. We’re past the back-to-school buzz, but not yet at the winter break. This in-between time contains a lot of work – preparing for and taking assessments of every kind.

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More than a catchy phrase
Deena Shaffer Deena Shaffer

More than a catchy phrase

One of my top hits has been some variation of 'I can’t,' or 'not yet,' or, in deep, vulnerable truth, 'other people might be able to do that, but that’s not something I can do’.

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Stay soft, not strong
Deena Shaffer Deena Shaffer

Stay soft, not strong

Even though I’ve been learning it the hard way, I’m beginning to see it more clearly: my patterns, and my choice points. When times get more compressed, and when the context is fuller than usual, it’s not that I need to ramp up my determination (my usual go-to), nor is it that I need to get hyper-efficient. Instead, I need to insist on more space, soothing, and softness

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The problem with pomodoro
Deena Shaffer Deena Shaffer

The problem with pomodoro

The logic is that with a short duration of only 25 minutes, a learner can start more easily and get through the work efficiently. The hope is that students begin to think in pomodoros: how many rounds of 25+5 will a particular task take? For example, a student can begin to internalize that a list of homework questions will take two rounds, whereas an essay will take ten.

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What “counts” as a learning strategy?
Deena Shaffer Deena Shaffer

What “counts” as a learning strategy?

There are always individual preferences and differences. There will be some learners who thrive solo, and I’m all about cheering on when a student finds their recipe or repertoire for feel-good learning. 

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