Standardized Test Stress is REAL. Today we’re chatting about 3 ideas you can implement now to reduce standardized test stress.
In this episode we will chat about:
- Our goals for standardized tests
- 3 ways to empower students
- easy to implement ideas to use in the classroom now
Want to Read More About Standardized Test Stress 👇🏼
Are you approaching testing season?
Maybe it’s the state test, EOY test, or the final benchmark of the year.
No matter the test, it’s stressful… right?
It’s because you care. You want your students to make growth and do their best on the test.
It feels high pressure, but you want to make sure your students feel calm and prepared… but also take it seriously.
I’ve spent a LOT of time thinking about how I can prepare my students to do their best, but at the same time feel EMPOWERED to show what they know. This won’t be the first or definitely not the last test your students will take. And no matter how they do on this particular test… what they learn about themselves- mindfulness, stress management, doing their best work… that matters more than if they remember what a sphere is or how to find the coordinates of a point.
Do You Get Emails From Me?
Last week I sent out 10 tips for test prep… that’s different than other test prep ideas you might see out there. My test prep tips include motivation, ownership, and mindfulness. After all, that’s what I think matters most for our students to be able to show what they actually know and can do.
Standardized Test Stress Tips You Can Use Today
These tips work for any testing context: Standardized, Benchmark, Progress Monitoring, Diagnostic, Unit Test… there’s a lot of damn tests our students have to take. So, preparing them to be confident and motivated to show what they know is key.. Because making tests high pressure and high stakes just feels wrong doesn’t it?
Tip #1: Reflect on what this test even is.
I know that sounds crazy… but in the weeks before this big test everyone is preparing for and talking about, get real with your students. What do they know about the test? Dig into the gritty details with them!
Start this conversation off like this:
“We’re going to take the _____ test soon. Have you heard of it? What do you know about it?”
Let them get it ALL out. You might even right down what they say onto the board or a piece of chart paper.
Then, clear up some misconceptions or wholes in their knowledge of the test. Because, knowledge is power. The more our students know about….
- Why they take this test
- Who sees the results
- What types of questions there are on the test
- If the test is responsive or not
- Who grades the test
- The testing environment- timed? Untimed? Multiple parts?
- When/if their parents will see the scores
- If the scores will effect their grades, promotion, etc.
Knowing these types of things about the test empower our students with the k knowledge. They can go into the test confident because they have all the facts.
So, have this conversation with them. Equip your students with all the information they need. Hold nothing back, answer all their questions.
Tip #2: Get Some Candy!
Maybe your school has a no candy rule or a “healthy school” rule. I think that shouldn’t apply on these LONG testing days. My students had to take a state test for 4 days that lasted 3 to 4 hours each day. It was A LOT of testing, a lot of sitting, a lot of thinking. They needed a burst.
So, get some candy.
Starbursts for a burst of energy for their beautiful brains
Smarties for your lil smarties
Dum Dum suckers because this test sucks haha
You get the idea!
I like to drop a piece of candy on their desk throughout the test as I’m walking around. Every 20 minutes or so a candy can be just what the student needs to keep going!
Tip #3: Scrap Paper Competition
Do you struggle to get your students to ACTUALLY USE THE SCRAP PAPER? This one’s for you…
Tell students that during the test they must use scrap paper to solve. Remind them that ALL year we’ve been doing math on paper and working on showing our reasoning so others’ can learn from it. Today is NO different. Give them the white blank paper to solve on for the test.
ONE SHEET at a time.
Let them know that once they fill their paper with math thinking they can raise their hand.
Then, you dramatically grab another sheet of paper and kinda wiggle it around as you take it to their desk. This is just a tiny distract to let everyone know you’re passing out another scrap paper and someone is moving into the lead of the competition.
The goal is to be the person with the MOST scrap paper at the end of the testing session.
I’ve had kids use 10 to 12 pieces of paper during a test. It’s a fun way to motivate students to actually use the paper.
You don’t have to have a prize at the end, just pride! Shout them out, Give them a round of applause, & Congratulate them for doing their best work on the test! Maybe a little leader board on the whiteboard? Or a challenge to beat that in the following day’s test.
If you have a scrap paper challenge during testing take a picture & tag me on Instagram I’d LOVE to see how many sheets your students can rack up!
My Favorite Tips to ease Standardized Test Stress
Okay, those are some of my favorite testing tips. I hope you find them helpful and that you’ll be able to use them with your students.
If you want an entire pack of test prep motivation… I’ve got you covered. It’s in my TPT shop for $6 and it’s FULL of so many tips and tricks and ready to use materials. I’ll put the link in the show notes or you can grab it at Monamath.com/testprep
Remember, this test prep season is just another time for our students to show PART of their brilliance. There’s no way any one test could measure all the goodness each child in our classroom has inside of them. They are creative, a good friend, helpful, kind, loving, an amazing dancer, a skilled magnet tile tower builder, a critical thinker, a good chef, and so much more. Don’t let this test cloud the reality… our students are more than their test score. WE know that. So, keeping that in perspective let’s prepare them to be motivated and take ownership over this test!
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Have Questions? 📱 My DMs on IG are always open @hellomonamath
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