Kaitlin Kan ’18: With a heavy new course load and challenging classes, time management can become difficult for many EA freshmen; in the face of this, Episcopal provides support to its students, integrating elements such as a Study Skills class.
Autumn Mueller ’18 explained, “Coming from a public school, taking this course makes me feel more prepared and more confident as I walk into each high level classroom.”
Photo Courtesy of Emily Wingfield ’18
The Study Skills class provides both academic and moral support. “It gives kids confidence, and it gives them another person who they feel like they can talk to,” stated Anna McDermott. She along with Chris Anderson and Alyson Kurz teach the study skills class. McDermott continued“Not everything is going to be smooth sailing, but grit is a theme of our course…basically overcoming things through perseverance when it’s not going as well as they should…we help them to overcome things and to cope with things and help them talk through that. Grit is a big thing that we teach everyday in some form or another.”
Classes are set up very specifically to capture both skill accumulation and healthy competition. The “Foul Shots” boxes appearing in our agendas are opportunities for Study Skills students to earn extra credit points to their grade. Accumulating points for study techniques that they apply to their other classes, they make notecards or create study guides. McDermott continued, stating, “It’s basically a competition atmosphere, so they get a certain amount of points for their team and individually. Besides having a good attitude and paying attention in class, the extra stuff that they do and how good their planner is contributes to this competition that we have, and it really gets their competitive juices flowing. It’s fun and there are prize reveals.”
Georgia Morgan ‘18 explained, “Study Skills really gets you organized and prepared for tests and classes. You learn how to study better and how to get rid of distractions.” She continued, commenting on how the class “prepares you for what different classes will expect because the Study Skills teachers make you see another teacher at least once a week, which gets you in the habit of checking in with teachers.” Katie Weaver ’18 affirmed this statement, indicating, “This class helps me realize what I am doing wrong so I can fix it.” McDermott concluded, stating, “I think the students come out of Study Skills knowing how to be more self-aware.”
Photo Courtesy of Emily Wingfield ’18
Lastly, McDermott confessed, “I have to admit, this is my twentieth year teaching, and I feel like Study Skills is the most rewarding part of my job. Seeing a kid come in and just improve so much and gain confidence is amazing. Especially when you see them at the beginning of their sophomore year, and they just look you in the eye and give you a hug. We’re kind of naggy to them, but they are literally like ‘you’ve done more for me than you know,’ and that is the most rewarding thing I can feel as a teacher. It’s pretty awesome.”