Managing Test Anxiety

How do you feel about taking tests? If you are anything like me, you feel a mix of fear, anxiety, and excitement. Fear that you might fail, anxiety that you will forget everything you have learned, and excitement to show all that you know.

Many of our students feel the same way when faced by a standardized exam. However, there are a lot of things we can do to reduce test anxiety—especially as we roll into our testing season.

Research has shown that by activating both sides of the brain, we can help calm anxiety, especially if we do exercises to activate the least dominant parts of our brains. Check out the following video for some brain activating activities: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/mary-blow/state-assessments-reducing-test-anxiety/
Playing classical music can also calm the brain. Try playing some Mozart softly during the test to build a culture of calm.
Before starting your tests, have students reflect on a test on which they did well. Sometimes, getting a student to reframe their thinking about tests and remind them of positive experiences will help change their focus and approach.
As simple as it sounds, writing a positive notes to your students and letting them know that you believe in them goes a long way! There are a lot of ways to spread positive encouragement during testing—from leaving stickers on their desks to having them think about someone who always supports them before starting their test. Encouragement and belief in them goes a long way!

Good luck this week 3rd- 5th grades as we start our ICAs! :)

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