Building student resilience

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday October 23, 2023 06:00

And in an attempt to be seen to be customer-driven, I agreed to do something. And here I am subjecting to my philosophical rumblings on a subject for which I have no mastery.

First things first. Good luck to all the 2023 candidates at all levels. You are all winners destined to prevail in the midst of adversity. The unexpected delay of some examinations should not throw any one off balance.

Life itself as you would realise, is a chapter consisting of unanticipated twists and turns. In the face of any trying situation, it is important to maintain a poise and disposition of optimists who see an opportunity in any challenge and to dismiss with contempt the limiting and self disarming thinking of pessimists who see a challenge in any opportunity.

The postponement of examinations is a necessary development intended to preserve the integrity of the examination regime. However, stressful and painful it may be, it should be seen as a blessing in disguise. Treated positively, it has given a life line to all students - to the least prepared students a golden opportunity to cover more ground than they would have done and a chance to close achievement gaps and to the most prepared, it is a window of opportunity to consolidate gains made and further fine tune the beautiful work.

And if need be, if high flying students consider their preparations sufficient, they can while away time by investing in extending a hand of benevolence to their struggling peers. Already there are encouraging reports and signs that students and teachers are handling this extraordinary challenge with calmness and maturity.

Some schools have restrategised by sub dividing students into study groups, which enjoy constant support and patronage from the teachers. Kudos to all the teachers for their silent but deep rooted sense of patriotism and love. Some schools have gone that extra mile of inviting motivators and counsellors to cushion the stress associated with delayed examinations. Indeed it takes a village only to raise but teach a child Even under normal circumstances examinations by nature are stressors.

Consider an examination as a mountain climbing exercise. Tough and energy sapping but not insurmountable. For mountain climbers, failure is not an option. This indefatigable spirit, popularised by the USA marines, is what every student must carry into every examination room. Everyone would at some stage face a mountain to climb and preparations made ahead of the climb would always make one equal to the task. Students, it is your turn to climb your mountain. An examination is one of the series of steps ushering and launching students to the global stage. It is just one of the many hurdles and certainly not the last. In the life of a student, an examination can be a daunting and nerve wrecking experience. Those who have sat for examinations of one kind or another, can attest to the fact that examinations do not respect age. Fearless in nature, pexaminations can unsettle both the young and old, experienced and inexperienced. All examinations, be it at school, a visit to a medical laboratory testing centre or at a driving school, are good sources of stress. But the challenges examinations pose should not be insurmountable. Students should know that an examination does not signal the end but the beginning of the world. For young people, it is the beginning of the trials and tribulations associated with life.

The challenges must be accepted as a way of life l, accorded prespect that they deserve but certainly not feared at all. It is a normal reaction to a serious thing such as an examination to feel a little nervous and jittery. Positive nervousness shows the extent to which one values the assignment at hand. I personally feel a bit nervous; I suspect even presidents do when faced with the task of standing before all prying eyes to deliver a speech. But anxiety does not stop leaders or anyone from delivering as expected and in this context, giving great and inspiring speeches. Feeling a little anxious is not a sign of weakness or inability, rather it is an acceptable standard reaction to a solemn and serious occasion. It is no excuse for failure. To rise to the challenge, students should approach examinations with a lot of positivity and hope.

Positivity is a winning mentality - a source of strength which inspires students to bring their best selves to the examination room. Least preparedness can be an obvious source of panic and fear. It is understandable. But it is useful to gather one’ s courage and composure in the face of all odds. If least prepared, students should not try to boil the whole ocean at once by attempting to cram all content and details. Trying to remember all the details at the very last minute can be less helpful. The best strategy is to know how to eat the elephant by slicing it into small manageable pieces. Gaining a good grasp of key issues in the syllabus is an effective strategy. No student, however, stressed should attempt to go it alone. Students need one another to deal with examination stress and fatigue. Working together applies to both high and low achieving students. Working in groups is a stress reliever and helps in deeper understanding and retention of materials learnt. In the group sessions, all students should share the air, and accorded equal opportunities to participate in the discussions. There should be no recurrence of an archaic but still prevalent teaching practice permitting the master teacher to run the show singlehandedly.

Even the low achieving students deserve some modicum of respect in student centred discussions. Discussions should not be the monopoly of the high achieving students. Student group discussions are designed to cater for all students. To gauge whether students are effective, they should attempt repeatedly to write past examination papers under test conditions, take time to grade one another’s work and provide feedback. The feedback should be taken seriously and used to close achievement gaps identified.

Besides rendering all technical assistance, students need to weather and ride over the examination storm. I have witnessed witty great admiration schools giving a pschological boost to their children. An example one has in mind is the little pre-examinations parties where students are showered with love and gifts. Empathy, kindness and love are intangible tools of teaching. Those who ignore these invincible tools can do so at their own peril. Students do not want to disappoint in a caring, compassionate and loving environment. They always do their best to perform as expected in order to glorify those who supported them. Finally, the home climate too should play its fair share in cushioning the examination stress. Parents should do all that is necessary so that children can live a stress-free life in the examination period.

They should encourage children to have sufficient sleep and to eat well. Parents should not harshly ask children to unfriend their friends simply because of examinations. Doing so might trigger some resistance. It is best to guide children on how they can work together and sustain the focus on examinations. Kindness and love will do the trick. Hopefully the law will take its course to ensure that those who brought our examinations into disrepute face the music. I have faith in the process.