the solution
Students and teachers are benefiting from an innovative approach to preparing for final examinations with the help of certified educational performance coach, Michael Burney, headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina.
Leading schools have great interest in programs which help their top students overcome known barriers to top performance, namely exam anxiety. Mr. Burney is introducing a proven, on-site, coaching program designed to help students and their teachers prepare for exams by using relaxation and concentration coaching, including take home reinforcement audios.
A valuable complement to class instruction, Exam Performance Mastery arms students with new skills to feel more comfortable about exams which leads to higher scores. Mr. Burney’s relaxation and focusing methods help students to better understand how to prepare for an exam, improve retention and recall, by learning these new techniques.
“Helping students to overcome their anxiety, grow in confidence and feel comfortable about exam conditions adds real value for students, teaching staff, parents and school administration," said Burney
Leading schools have great interest in programs which help their top students overcome known barriers to top performance, namely exam anxiety. Mr. Burney is introducing a proven, on-site, coaching program designed to help students and their teachers prepare for exams by using relaxation and concentration coaching, including take home reinforcement audios.
A valuable complement to class instruction, Exam Performance Mastery arms students with new skills to feel more comfortable about exams which leads to higher scores. Mr. Burney’s relaxation and focusing methods help students to better understand how to prepare for an exam, improve retention and recall, by learning these new techniques.
“Helping students to overcome their anxiety, grow in confidence and feel comfortable about exam conditions adds real value for students, teaching staff, parents and school administration," said Burney
THE PROGRAM
Exam Performance Mastery
Michael Burney, CHT
Mr. Burney schedules 4 sessions per semester at participating leading schools. Each session is up to a hour in length and consists of up to 12 students. Depending on individual school schedules, 3-4 of these sessions may be scheduled in a day allowing for Mr. Burney to work with a total of 36-48 students, identified as best candidates for the program, in a full-day school visit.
Teachers and counselors typically choose high-performing students who they have observed performing below their potential at exam time, potentially due to exam anxiety. The Exam Performance Mastery program. By way of example, a school might elect to identify 12 students each from 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades to participate in these hour sessions. The equation is straightforward, up to 12 students from a grade per one hour session with up to four of these sessions in a day. Then three more days are scheduled to complete the total of four sessions for all enrolled students.
SESSION ONE- (normally at the beginning of the semester) devoted to setting guidelines for the program, taking students through an initial guided relaxation exercise designed to help students listen, retain and access learned information. In addition, students are provided access to a practice relaxation audio to utilize at home. "The ability to relax is enhanced through repetition," says Burney. "This audio helps students turn off negative self-talk, improve focus and learn to manage anticipatory anxiety if it exists."
SESSIONS 2-4 ARE NORMALLY SCHEDULED OVER THREE DAYS IN ONE WEEK 2-4 WEEKS
PRIOR TO THE EXAM PERIOD.
SESSION TWO- The groups are guided through a new relaxation exercise and given an "Exam Survival Guide" with helpful tips to enhance focus reframing negative "self-talk" and replacing it with visualization of successful outcomes.
SESSION THREE- (Normally the second of three sessions in a week several weeks prior to exams) In this hour, Mr. Burney guides each group through an open discussion of their feelings about exams and offers the opportunity for group members to share what they've experienced to date with the instruction, in class exercises and home audio listening. The concept of a "Worry Hour" is shared with students giving them permission to "schedule" a worry session should they desire to have one. Setting a time to "worry" or simply to focus on other thoughts, outside of study time, can be liberating for students. Students have a brief refresher relaxation and visualization exercise to close the session.
SESSION FOUR- This is the last session with Mr. Burney prior to exams. Again, the session begins with open discussion. The discussion period is followed by a longer relaxation exercise focusing on visualizing success on exam days. A new home audio is distributed combining all of the elements of the four sessions and which is designed for listening leading up to the beginning of exams.
With four sessions under their belts, and hours of home relaxation training, students are now positioned to be at their best when they sit down to take their exams.
Teachers and counselors typically choose high-performing students who they have observed performing below their potential at exam time, potentially due to exam anxiety. The Exam Performance Mastery program. By way of example, a school might elect to identify 12 students each from 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades to participate in these hour sessions. The equation is straightforward, up to 12 students from a grade per one hour session with up to four of these sessions in a day. Then three more days are scheduled to complete the total of four sessions for all enrolled students.
SESSION ONE- (normally at the beginning of the semester) devoted to setting guidelines for the program, taking students through an initial guided relaxation exercise designed to help students listen, retain and access learned information. In addition, students are provided access to a practice relaxation audio to utilize at home. "The ability to relax is enhanced through repetition," says Burney. "This audio helps students turn off negative self-talk, improve focus and learn to manage anticipatory anxiety if it exists."
SESSIONS 2-4 ARE NORMALLY SCHEDULED OVER THREE DAYS IN ONE WEEK 2-4 WEEKS
PRIOR TO THE EXAM PERIOD.
SESSION TWO- The groups are guided through a new relaxation exercise and given an "Exam Survival Guide" with helpful tips to enhance focus reframing negative "self-talk" and replacing it with visualization of successful outcomes.
SESSION THREE- (Normally the second of three sessions in a week several weeks prior to exams) In this hour, Mr. Burney guides each group through an open discussion of their feelings about exams and offers the opportunity for group members to share what they've experienced to date with the instruction, in class exercises and home audio listening. The concept of a "Worry Hour" is shared with students giving them permission to "schedule" a worry session should they desire to have one. Setting a time to "worry" or simply to focus on other thoughts, outside of study time, can be liberating for students. Students have a brief refresher relaxation and visualization exercise to close the session.
SESSION FOUR- This is the last session with Mr. Burney prior to exams. Again, the session begins with open discussion. The discussion period is followed by a longer relaxation exercise focusing on visualizing success on exam days. A new home audio is distributed combining all of the elements of the four sessions and which is designed for listening leading up to the beginning of exams.
With four sessions under their belts, and hours of home relaxation training, students are now positioned to be at their best when they sit down to take their exams.
