'Twas the month before prelims - Christmas revision ideas

1. ‘Twas the month
before prelims
@mrmarrhistory
'Twas the month before Prelims, when all around the
school,
The only pupils not studying were acting like fools.
Past papers were placed around teacher’s room,
In the hope that the pupils would soon take them home.
The pupils were not nestled snug in their beds,
Because exam worries now danced in their heads
A worry, they wondered, how can I be able?
A thought then occurred: “use a revision timetable”.
When out in the corridor there came such a clatter,
I sprang from my room to see what was the matter.
It wasn’t the mischievous elf known as Buddy,
It was pupils looking for notes for their study.
I asked them why I could hear such a great noise,
And warned them that Santa might not bring them toys,
With sweet smiles they asked for some help to revise,
I said “make up a quiz, it’ll help you get wise”.
The naming of Santa had grabbed their attention,
Good behaviour was given after his mention,
They enquired if I had any other suggestions,
“Why not make PowerPoint presentations?”
The snow began falling and the playground did glisten,
The students were finally ready to listen,
My next idea met with an excited yelp.
“Supported Study’s the place to get extra help.”
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Looked like blank sheets of paper, writing ready to go,
Another solution to stop an exam whine,
Revision clips are found lots of places online.
Then a figure appeared; could it be Saint Nick?
He shouted an idea, but moved on so quick,
“Another way to stop study being hard,
Summarise your notes on some helpful Flashcards”.
Marks in the snow showed that Santa was near,
That jolly old man, could stop exam fear.
The noises of reindeer were followed by cries,
Saying: “facts can be found on BBC Bitesize.”
And more shouts then came, “Now Dasher, now Prancer!”
Exam success is marked by shouting “Ya Dancer!”
It was obvious what else could be done to get better,
Mnemonics are written by using all letters.
“On, Comet! On, Cupid!” the shouts kept on coming,
The pupils’ delight kept hearts beating and drumming
Soon they’d be home, sleeping in their night caps,
And planning revision using mind maps.
The reindeers they dashed away, dashed away all,
All around me the gazes were completely enthralled,
Pupils looked at each other and to their surprise,
They agreed study partners could help win their prize.
Up to the roof of the school the sleigh flew,
And Santa he was finally fully in view,
The pupils then realised as they stared towards the skies,
Listening to podcasts is great to revise.
And then in a twinkling I could hear on the roof,
The dropping of presents and sound of a hoof,
Santa called to the pupils, as he munched Christmas cake,
“Why not work with a friend, playing Find the mistake?”
Down from the roof came Saint Nick with a bound,
The pupils were awestruck, they made not a sound
Santa then shouted as he lifted his bags,
“Twitter includes lots of study hashtags.”
He was dressed all in fur, and looked strange in the school,
In truth he was breaking all uniform rules.
His words they soon flowed, forcing pupils to look,
“You could write and design a revision book.”
A bundle of bags he had flung on his back,
What prelim goodies could be found in his sack?
With Santa around, no-one could be lonely,
Not if they revised using pictures only.
His eyes – how they twinkled! – His dimples, how merry,
Were pupils excited for exams? Yes, very!
They were now ready for some study action,
With no phones, music or any distraction!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
With an offer to pupils if they’d help themselves,
He’d reward their efforts with some tasty sweets,
If they wrote study notes in the style of short tweets.
With a wink of his eye and a wave of his palm,
He made pupils stop fretting about their exams,
Another tip to ensure your results are great,
“Plan a lesson that could teach all your classmates.”
Santa then moved on to the assembly hall,
Where the prelims would soon take place – yes, them all!
“If you want to be ready then remember this rhyme,
Complete example questions in a fixed time.”
Santa’s last stop was to the head teacher’s office,
To warn that they might be put on the Naughty List,
As he left he whispered a great idea again,
“Write quick revision notes, using words, only ten.”
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a smile
Soon they’d be home resting – and would sleep for a while,
Santa’s next idea brought delight to all eyes,
“If you meet study targets, give yourself a prize.”
Santa’s final thought should get your attention,
It’s something you maybe don’t often hear mentioned:
“Too much study’s as bad as not doing enough,
Take a break to ensure that you’ll know your stuff.”
Now pupils are ready to succeed in their test,
All festive efforts mean they’ve tried their best,
And as thoughts turn to dinner, maybe turkey or duck,
Merry Christmas to all, and for prelims, “good luck!”