These are some of the things I do to monitor the progress of my Physics students, and also help them gauge themselves. This has been religiously carried out to great effect as I found that my students are having an easier time for their revision and being more productive with studying in this way.
(1) Physics study notebook
I provide all my Physics students with a notebook in which to jot down key Physics formulae, and also some noteworthy examples that require the student to solve the problem in a specific manner. These summaries are very useful for revision and serve as a quick and easy reference when the student needs to pull a formula out of a hat, so to speak, at quick notice in order to solve a question.
(2) Have everything written down in the study notebook
At the back of the same notebook, I also note down what Physics topics or assessment papers were covered during the lesson, and also the homework questions assigned. I find this to be much more organized than, say, jotting down homework questions on loose scraps of paper or marking out questions in the Physics textbook which can be easily overlooked.
(3) Parent’s update on Physics lessons
Once a month I will drop a note to the parent informing them of how the Physics tuition lessons are going. Many times, I will see them at home, so I will just tell them directly.
(4) Physics pop quiz
Short quizzes given during lessons help break the monotony and also keep the student on his or her toes. The quiz questions are unseen and are prepared before the Physics tuition lesson.
(5) Physics practice papers
Nearer exam time, students will do full length Physics practice papers which will be graded. Their marks will let them know roughly what they can expect to obtain if it were an actual exam. It can be a humbling or an uplifting experience depending on the student’s progress as well as his or her ambitions.
