The teacher calls your name

You hear the teacher pause, and you just know it's coming. My eyes drop to the open page of my notebook, scanning the scribbled notes one last time. It's that familiar, quiet scramble inside your head.

That last glance at your notes

Everything else in the room sort of fades out for a second. The words on the page are a blur, but you're trying to find the one key phrase you underlined.It's not really about memorizing it perfectly. It's more like wanting to have something solid to start with, so your voice doesn't waver right at the beginning. You just need that first anchor.

When the wheel lands on you

There's a weird kind of relief mixed in with the nerves. The not-knowing is over, at least. Now it's just you and the question, and whatever you managed to gather from your last look at the page.Sometimes, the question isn't even about the exact fact you were reviewing. But having just looked at your notes puts you in the right headspace. You're already thinking about the topic, so you can pivot.It turns the pressure down a notch. It feels less like a test and more like a conversation you're slightly more prepared for.

The questions that help

Explain the main idea in your own words.

The ones that connect things

How does this relate to what we learned last week?

The simple checks

What's the first step in this process?