S.M.A.R.T Targets
S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that stands for:
Specific – something that students can actually do. Planning to ‘revise for music’ is not specific. Planning to revise ‘key composers in the Romantic period’ is specific
Measurable - a task that can be measured/judged/graded. Being within 2 marks of the top mark for extended writing questions is an example. Achieving a 6 grade (66%) in an upcoming mock exam or practice paper by using the grade boundaries if they’re available
Achievable - following on from above, setting a measurable target of an 8 grade in students' first PPE might not be achievable for most students. Working their way up to this makes sense – 3 grade, then 4/5, then 6 and so on
Realistic - make things realistic, so use a timer for certain questions, practise a presentation/performance to an audience, use past-papers from the previous year and actual exam questions
Time Bound - set deadlines for when these things must be done. For example, ‘I must achieve a 5 in in my June/July PPEs taking place in year 10’; ‘I must have completed a timed essay question by [day of the week e.g. Friday’s] lesson’. Deadlines create urgency
Examples of activities that fit the above SMART targets:
Completing specific CGP Study Guide revision summary questions for a specific topic
Creating and reviewing a PLC (personal learning checklist) for an exam topic that students are weak in
Accessing and annotating examiner reports via the music department website
Completing timed essays/questions on specific topics
Attending a specific revision session and/or seeing the teacher about a specific area of struggle
Pulling a folder together with revision notes under specific headings/titles
Learning a certain number of key terminology phrases or words from Quizlet each evening for 5 minutes
Achieving a certain percentage/grade in a PPE or complete paper done at home
Making a certain number of voluntary contributions in class each lesson
Catching up a specific missed lesson (when students were ill or absent)
Other revision strategies to try
Here are some more tips and strategies that students can use to further help them, in addition to the above S.M.A.R.T revision method
Consolidate – turn theories/concepts/events/pages of information/topics into JUST ONE PAGE. Students can use drawings, bullet points, charts, spider diagrams; anything that they understand. STUDENTS SHOULD THEN MAKE SURE THEY REGULARLY REVIEW THEIR NOTES AND READ THEM. Click here to see some examples
Remind – students can put reminders for simpler things around their environment. For example, key terms in the inside cover of a book, post-its on key things around their room with names to remember, create posters using large sheets of paper with the key dances and key instruments for Greek music
Repetition – revise constantly and practise regularly as often as possible, exam questions or exam-style questions are as close to the real thing so students should do lots of them. They can find lots of questions in textbooks and on this music department website via this link (CGP textbooks are very good)
Test – students should periodically (regular occurring intervals) test themselves on how much they have learned from ALL OF THE ABOVE METHODS (!) using mock performances, mock exams, exam-style questions under timed conditions