01 Jul 2024
As you read this, we’ve just come back from our annual NAEO summer conference in Leeds. The theme was 'Becoming a more effective exams officer’ and I was on stage talking about Creating a Mindful Exam Officer Reaction Plan.
Christmas is traditionally a time for review, but this period between exams and results is a good time to be looking back on our professional preparation and performance.
How did it go? It is a question I asked everyone.
We can all benefit from seeing how well we put everything together – or those areas where we might improve on things, next time.
It is always good to ‘have a reaction plan’. At my place of work (HMP), with some pre-planning I can think through in advance how to respond to tricky situations. And that is a huge help when there is no time to ponder and immediate action of the right kind is required!
It is the same for you.
Looking back on things, now the dust has settled, gives you an opportunity to unpick your responses.
Did you respond to things as they unfolded, or did you react? In Mindfulness terms, these are very different.
When we React, we are generally on automatic. Our brain has condensed masses of previous ways of handling difficult things and offered us up the one we use most often!
Your way of Reacting to stress might be _____________________ (fill in the blanks).
When we are on automatic, we let our subconscious mind call the shots. But if we want to 'Become a More Effective Exams Officer’- as Conference suggested, then it is wise to ‘be present’ at all times.
When we are ‘Present’, we can be in Responding mode, with a thoughtful, considered approach to events.
Responding means Noticing how we feel about situations around us and then making good choice in how we manage them.
My personal thought in most situations is:
“Am I a trigger for others?” It helps me consider how I speak to people.
So having a Personal Reaction is just us agreeing with ourselves how we will respond to a range of situations before they happen.
This way we are never caught off-guard. Knowing we have already thought through the best way to deal with problems can help us feel more in control.
After all, JCQ ask us to have an Emergency Contingency Plan for Exams, so why not work on a Mindful Plan too? You could look on it as your default way of Being.
You may have your favourite ‘makes me feel better routine’ that you can do when things go #### (and I’m talking Mindful techniques here such as Meditation, Breathing, Visualisation, Affirmations etc).
We know that the best time to work on any raw emotion is as and when it happens, so as you consider your own Exam Reaction Plan you might want to:
- Consider how you respond to certain people
- Choose some favourite exercises or techniques to help ease the situation
- Think about your personal triggers and what sets you ‘off’
- Look at any areas of your processes that are likely to need an extra Mindful response
- Agree with yourself how you plan to ‘be’ in any challenging spot
- Maybe create a workable document (visual or text) to remind you of your personal agreement
- Decide to be accountable for your behaviour in a personal and professional capacity
This is just a quick overview of the benefits of creating a Personal Exam Reaction Plan.
Looking back now, in the lull between exams and results, may give you a moment to consider 2025 exams and how you could make things even smoother.
As Exam Officers, we are good at systems and strategies. Create one for yourself too, so that you, and your needs do not get overlooked in the process.
Love and Light
Geraldine
In August I’m bringing out my Create Your Personal Exam Reaction Plan for schools – a 10 week ‘Commit to Change’ Programme for Schools to help students with their exam anxiety. It uses Mindful Practice to help them shift how they think about and react to stress.
I need your help in reaching as many Pastoral and Well Being Leads as possible. Could you pass on the details to the right person in your school?
There are a number of ways to help me out:
1. Ask your Pastoral Lead to sign up for my Exam Mindset Framework pdf at www.GeraldineJozefiak.com/reaction
2. Ask them to register for my Exam Stress Masterclass available mid-August
Thank you.