It’s Testing Season

And that means we have to get test motivated. What is test motivated? Keep reading… I’m gonna explain it all.

I don’t know about you, but spring means April showers, May flowers and standardized testing. I don’t know about you, but it instantly makes me shake my head.

Don’t get me wrong here, I understand that assessment is a crucial part of our students ability to reflect on their learning and set goals for improvement. However, I know that standardized tests are not the best way to engage our students and families in tangible next steps in moving their learning forward. On the contrary, school districts and “the powers that be” do rely on these tests. In fact, when I was buying a house I found MYSELF looking at the standardized test performance for nearby schools. Despite the challenges and frustrating aspects (and there are a lot), these tests are a part of school reality.

So, HOW do we prepare our students to show what they know on these tests and be confident in taking them? My answer is motivate them & teach them about how to approach the test with a growth mindset.

Test Motivation

Don’t cram, instead motivate. I teach my students how to approach the test with a growth mindset so they can leave the test feeling confident. We use reflections, class discussions, and exercises to help students feel ready to take the test.

3 Test Taking Motivation Ideas 

#1  I know that part of feeling ready to test is knowing exactly what to expect on testing day. So, I always start by showing my students the schedule and talking about the test details. We go over the format of the test, the types of questions (multiple choice, drag and drop, essay, etc.) I do this because I want to take away as many barriers I can for my students as possible. 

#2 I know students need real strategies for real problems. What do I mean? How should a kid  handle things if she’s tired of reading or can’t stop moving their legs? What about if they have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the test or their stomach is rumbling? I provide a lot of time for us to envision what those testing sessions will be like and all the possibilities of problems that might come up! This helps students feel confident they will know what to do in these situations.

#3 I know how to get the WHOLE child ready for test taking. We use chants & quotes to inspire us. As a class we practice mindfulness and breathing to help keep us calm and refocus ourselves when needed. Additionally, I teach my students exercises that cross the midline to help them “warm up their brain” as I call it. These activities address more than just the knowledge and skills and attend to the whole child taking the test. 

If you need ideas for how to have these discussions virtually, check out this post.

Test Day Motivation Starts with Classroom Culture

A big part of test day motivation starts WAY before test day. In fact, it starts on day one and it is something I work on every single day of the year with my students. Classroom culture. We work so hard to make sure our classroom is a place that is inclusive, supportive, and responsive for each student to thrive. This is an undertaking my students and I are in together. I do everything I can to make sure my students are at the center of my decisions, instruction, and culture. If you’re ready to transform your classroom culture start here by grabbing my free ebook on 5 ways to make your classroom culture student-centered!

Now… back to Test Day Motivation

A lot of my preparations with my students happen before Test Day, however test day motivation is key! Here is what I do on the test day to prepare my students for testing! 

Test Day Motivation for the Morning Entry 

As students come in I keep it calm and positive. I try to ensure I have positive and personal interactions with each child. Side note: I’ve also already communicated with their parents that today is test day, so I’m hoping that positive and calm vibe started at home. 

Next, we come right to the rug and circle up for our morning meeting. We spend time doing a check in greeting (my all time favorite). It goes like this… 

“Good morning crew/class/friends

“Today I am feeling _______. One thing i’m feeling positive about in my life is _____. 

I’m checked in” 

The class repeats “Checked in” to verbally acknowledge that student.
For my younger friends (1st-3rd) I like to slow the pace down and have students do more of a call and response. So, it goes like this… 

“Good morning friends.” Class responds, “Good morning (name).”
“I feel (sad).” Class, “Sad.” 

“I’m checked in” Class, “Checked In” 

We go over the schedule and take care of the logistics of the day– bathroom break, materials prep, etc. 

We set our intention for the test. I do this by talking about affirmations with my students. I have each student write an affirmation or statement to themselves about the test. Then, they tuck the piece of paper into their pocket. 

Test Motivation for right before the test 

About 30 minutes before the test we start this test motivation routine!
I crank some positive vibes music (check out MissBensko on Spotify) and we DANCE. I dance with them and I encourage everyone to at least move their bodies by walking around the room. 6th graders ALWAYS roll their eyes at me when I tell them to dance. Either way, we move our bodies for about 10 minutes.
Then, I turn the music to lower energy tunes and we find a spot to get mindful (usually still standing because we’re about to sit for a LONG time).
We do our breathing exercises and brain exercises.

Then, we grab our seat. Once in the seat we find our learning posture and position our body so our brain can think. Then, we take a few more deep breaths and read our affirmation card or say it in our head. 

Resources for Test Prep

If you’re looking for activities and reflections for test prep (for the whole child) I have what you’re looking for! I have compiled every trick and tip along with ready to use digital or print activities in a big-ole bundle for you. Check it out right here! 

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Lesson 1: What does a Mathematician Look Like?

Build a positive math mindset by dispelling misconceptions

Do you know what your students think of when you say mathematician? Do they think of themselves?
The first step to ensuring students see themselves as math people is to be sure they don’t have a misconception that all mathematicians are old dudes that look like…. this dude.

So, the best way to make sure of that and make sure they see themselves as a mathematician is to ASK THEM!

This is my most EPIC lesson to do just that. But… Why is it EPIC?
Because it is:
*Low/no prep
*Quick
*Engaging & FUN (involved drawing and talking!)

Here it is… Lesson Plan for “What does a mathematician look like?”

Grade Level: Any & All!! Adults – Kindergarten

Objective: Help students develop the understanding that they are EACH a math person & dispel misconceptions about what a mathematician is.

Materials: Graphic Organizer- Grab it here & A picture of each student printed.

Duration: 15-25 minutes (really, however much time you have you can make this work!)

Procedure:
1. Ask students to draw what they think a mathematician looks like. Encourage students to add thought bubbles, speech bubbles and clothes to express the persons whole identity. You can use the prompt, ”What does this person say/do/think?”
2. In small groups have students share about their drawing.
3. Move to a whole group share. I suggest you listen into small group discussions and choose 3-4 students to be prepared to share with the whole group. Select these students based on parts that you want to highlight. Such as, misconceptions about mathematicians- they are boys, they are fast & smart, etc.
While you facilitate this conversation you can ask questions such as “I see you have a speech bubble that says, “I’m as fast as a calculator. Do you guys think you have to be fast to be a mathematician?”
They all might say yes. In that case, you can tell them some of the greatest  mathematicians were slow thinkers. Then, you’ll need to think about ways to SHOW them these misconceptions are wrong- through tasks, biographies of mathematicians, etc. (That’s for a later lesson). Be okay with the students having misconceptions and voicing them. Keep them in your mind and start preparing a plan for addressing them!
4. After the discussion, print and attach a photo of each student.
5. Display on a bulletin board. Share with parents. Make this a big thing! Help your school see that each of us is a mathematician!!

Lesson #2: What is a Mathematician?

Build a collective definition to lay the foundation for a positive math mindset

Alright, now that you have dispelled any misconceptions on mathematicians now it’s time to think about what a mathematician IS. We need to write a new definition that we all agree on.

This leads so perfectly into forming your classroom math norms, if you haven’t done that already. If you have, great time to revisit them!

Here it is… Lesson Plan for “What is a mathematician ?”

Grade Level: Any & ALL!

Materials: Graphic Organizer to make a web. Grab it here

Objective: Help students develop the understanding definition of what a mathematician is, contextualized for their grade level.

Duration: 15-20 minutes (really, however much time you have you can make this work!)

Procedure:

1. Ask students to describe using words what a mathematician is on their web. You could contextualize this for your grade level– What is a 3^rd grade mathematician? What do they do/say/think?

2. Next, ask students to share in a small group (at their table). Listen into these conversations. Ask probing questions about why they think that or if others agree. Refer back to your conversation about “What Does a Mathematician Look Like” if needed.

3. Bring the students together as a whole group & create an anchor chart where you are working on a class version. Ask students to share something they wrote on their web. Check with the class for consensus or input and then add to the anchor chart.

4. This could be an ongoing formation of a definition- just have them keep it in their math folder. Then, each time something new comes up in math- add it!

• Solve a problem in small groups– Add “Works with others to solve problems”
•   Find a pattern in models– Add “Looks for patterns”
•   A student discovers the lights are in an array– Add “Observes carefully.”

5. Celebrate when you notice students embodying these definitions of a mathematician. 6.Use this definition to form your math norms. Don’t have any? It’s all good, now is the time to start! Well, after this lesson. I talk all about my math norms here. Or grab the ones I use here.

Ready to try it? Grab the Graphic Organizers right here for just $2

Still wondering or want to see this in action?

Reach out! I’m here for you. I’m happy to answer any and all questions, any time!

locallearnersandco@gmail.com

The post Positive Math Mindset: 2 Epic Lessons appeared first on Mona Math.

Tip #1: Consider your own Math Mindset

Teachers set the tone for the classroom.
You are 100% normal if you feel like you aren’t a math person or math just isn’t your thing. Let’s face it we were taught in a system that failed to help us see the beauty and artistry in math. Instead, we were taught that if you weren’t fast at the procedures then you just weren’t cut out for math.

I spent my entire life (until 5 years into my teaching career) convinced I wasn’t a math person. I would deliver the math lessons from the curriculum and watch the clock just counting the minutes until it was over. Then, I discovered that math is not about procedures and speed… and my mindset changed.

I discovered a style of teaching that allowed students to be in the driver seat- where they did the thinking and explaining. I listened and crafted the questions and set the conditions for students to discover a deep conceptual understanding. This style of teaching is based in the research found in Cognitively Guided Instruction. It is my passion and I would love to share more with you… more to come on that!

A Teacher’s Math Story…

I encourage you to spend time thinking about your math story. Even write it down or share it with a colleague.

Here are some prompts to consider:

• What are your memories of elementary math?
• How did your early experiences with math form your high school and college experiences?
• When did math feel good? When did it feel bad?
• What helped you learn math?

Knowing your own math journey and how your mindset for math was formed will help you develop a classroom that ensures students can fall in love with math.

Tip #2: Real Life Math Role Models Build Positive Mindset for Math

Math is everywhere in the real world. Students need to see the people who do math everyday in the real world. Often when we ask our students what does a mathematician look like they have no idea. We want them to see themselves. We want them to see people that look like them- women, Latino, Black, gay, disabled, and so much more. Everyone needs a role model.

I want students to see ALL the math people that have come before them so they can actually see themselves as the math person they are. In order to do that, they must have models that look like them. It is my goal to show my students the greats that have come before them that achieved brilliance in the math field.

Every single one of our students already is a math person. SAY IT AGAIN!
Every single one of our students already is a math person.
So, let’s create the classroom where each child see themselves and people that look like them as math people!

These posters make the perfect display for your classroom. This is a growing bundle, grab it right here on TPT!

My students and I use these biographies* to start our conversations about what it means in the real world to be a mathematician. Their mindset shifts from “I don’t need math” to “Wow, if she can maybe I can?” or “Wait, building rockets is math?”

*These biographies are designed for 4th-8th graders. However, there are also primary biographies and graphic organizers designed for 1st-3rd graders.

Tip #3: Lessons to Build Math Mindset

Reflect on Math Mindsets

Teacher Reflection:

What does a 3rd grade mathematician look like at the end of the year? (Insert the grade you teach).
What do you want these little ones to be able to do?
What will their mindset for math be at the end of the year?

Take sometime to think about this. I encourage you to write down 5 things you want your mathematicians to be by the end of the school year.

By considering what you want the end product to look like, sound like, be like, you’ll be able to develop a classroom culture to foster the necessary learning.

Student Reflection:

Survey to Assess Math Mindset

At the start of the year I use this math survey to build my understanding of each student’s math history and mindset. I write more about how I use the survey in this post.

What is a mathematician?

Ask your students to consider what a Mathematician is. Have each student create a web or a list of all the things they think a mathematician can do.
I like to contextualize this for the grade I am teaching- so “What can a 3rd grade mathematician do?”

Having a positive mindset toward math is all about dispelling the lies that we hold about math. Like… speed is important or there is only one correct way to solve a problem. When we help our students develop a full description of a mathematician’s qualities we help our students see they already have many qualities of a mathematician.

In this activity above, I ask students to make a web of what a mathematician is to them. They start by adding phrases and words. Then they keep this in their math folder and we add to it.

• When we work in groups to solve a challenging problem we get out our definitions and add “work in groups”.
• When we see a pattern that makes a problem type easier to solve we get out our webs and add “finds patterns”.
• When we work on a problem over multiple days that is hard to solve, we add “persevere”.

This is ongoing formation and revision of our definition of a mathematicians demonstrates to students that our mindset is ever changing.

If you’re interested in trying this activity with your students grab it from my little shop on TPT along with detailed lesson plans for only $2.

Make a display to Build Math Mindset

Math Teaches Us To…

If you’re like me, you like EASY & cute bulletin boards and displays. I created this “MATH Teaches us to…” display for my door. It was a huge hit with students, staff, and families. This display started lots of important conversations. I love this type of open ended display because it leaves room for us to build our definition together. It actually turned into something we added to for months.

I’d love to gift this beauty to you. Drop your name and email address here to download your free copy!

Math Affirmations to build a Growth Mindset

I use these affirmation posters to build my students math mindset. I usually create a space in the room where I hang them all. Then, we will refer to them through out the year in different ways. We use them to reflect, goal set, etc. Read more about how I use them here. You can also grab the math affirmations I use in my classroom from my little shop on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Math Norms Display to build Math Mindset

I think my math norms are one of the best ways I build a math growth mindset with my students. I believe these phrases to my core. I use them to frame every single conversation we have in our classroom.

If you don’t have norms, I encourage you to consider adding them to your classroom. Not sure where to start? Start right here!

Did you get what you need?

If you’re looking for more a help with building your ideal math classroom culture and helping students develop a growth mindset in math… I CAN HELP! I have my favorite 10 ways to develop classroom culture in math that I would love to share with you. Leave your name and email address here & I’ll email it to you!

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