It's not unusual for Kristy Kendall (or KK as she's affectionately known to many VCE Psychology teachers and students) to get stopped in the street and asked for an autograph by a buzzing VCE Psychology student, often wanting it for their own beloved teacher. A legendary Psychology teacher, VCAA assessor, OG Edrolo teacher-presenter and now Principal of Toorak College, Kristy knows a thing or 2 about getting exam-ready. Her songs, energetic personality and flair for making things fun, have helped 1000s of students learn and love Psychology. Here she shares some of her expertise.
Kristy will be presenting two VCE Psychology student study sessions on Saturday 14 September (Melbourne) and Saturday 19 October (Bendigo) as part of Study Fest '24.
Psychology is all about you! So the best bit about teaching Psych is that we get to put the puzzle pieces together to work out how you tick and what makes you uniquely you.
Hmmmmmm……I think the concept students are most reluctant about is the research skills component. It is lucky that it is my favourite, and once you nail the basics, it is really formulaic, and a skill you can then apply no matter what is thrown at you.
We will hit the hard stuff and really give students in the session a way to stand out from the crowd. It’s a big crowd in Psych, so standing out is really important to put that + on the A! We'll look at things like the toughest questions (as well as how to avoid the pitfalls of past students' mistakes), tricky concepts and dive into the areas where students want clarity. It will be interactive, I love working together to find ways to make learning stick for students.
Right now I assume students are knee-deep in the Sleep course. We could use a single hypnogram to link every dot point too, and construct the ultimate memory aid, but also ensure the scientific rigour is applied to an area of study that students often forget to put the science behind!
Great links between the course, great systems for nailing the tough stuff, and great laughs! At Study Fest '23 I was convinced by the students to break into a song, let's see what happens in 2024!
Dot points! Dot Points! Dot points! Grab a pen and start writing. Put 5 minutes on the clock and see how much you can write about a random dot point. Find your holes and weaknesses then start there with your study! And then repeat!
I have heard that I am a pretty good resource to watch at 1.5x speed! I’m not offended, it’s ok! But actually I think the beauty of the videos I make is that I try to bring them to life. Think about your stories and connections too. It will make your learning so much more powerful.
Lucky Psych students are memory experts, hey! The advice I would give is that it does all start to fall into place. Even the last AOS on mental health is not MORE content, it is RELATED content. So look for the crossovers and find the concepts over the specifics. That’s where we build from.
I am also a fan of recording your own voice and listening to yourself explain something. You could even share with a friend and swap!
You have to show off! Knowing the work is not enough, I push for flair!
Ha ha…because I never teach something the same way twice! I think I am known for being a really adaptive teacher. The live sessions will grow and change and shape depending on the questions students ask, the examples I hear from students, and how students are responding.
It is also guaranteed to be totally different to the videos, filled with whichever random story or teaching aid pops into my head in the moment, and it will change to a truly personalised experience that is targeted at the students in the room! We’re going to really create your flair for this subject together.
