Working Through Test Anxiety
Working Through Test Anxiety
May 8, 2024|Education, Testing
Easing test prep in students through self-written mindful messages.
Originally published 4/29/22.
It’s everyone’s favorite time of year: Testing Season (hoping you sensed the sarcasm there). Regardless of where you teach and even what you teach, the end of the year can be stressful when it’s time for students to “show what they know” on end-of-year exams, benchmarks, and state assessments.
Test anxiety is real. Whether students show this to you in obvious ways or less obvious ways, most students have some form of anxious thoughts before, during, and/or after high-stakes exams. Even those students who may act like they don’t care – that is typically a coping mechanism. It feels much more devasting to try your hardest and still fail, than it does to not even try at all.
But there is hope. We can help ease our students’ minds. We can teach them strategies that will go far beyond this one exam and could affect their self-perception for years to come.
Before the Test
Sure, you have all had a year to prepare, but what is said and done immediately before the test can have a profound impact on the mindset of your students and, thus, the results of the assessment. There are several articles and posts out there on setting the testing environment (I’ve linked many below). However, a simple strategy to make one of the biggest differences is shifting the control from teacher to student through mindful messages.
Positive affirmations, mindfulness, positive self-talk – whatever you want to call it. How we talk to ourselves matters. We can instill this in our students before they take that big test and encourage them to use this skill any time they feel negative thoughts lurking in their minds.
Mindful Message: A note of positivity that students write to themselves that they will reference in times of test anxiety (or any stress).
You may be asking, “I write notes to my students. Why do they need to write their own?”
Others can write themselves notes, sure, but what a student believes in himself is crucial. I argue that BOTH are important and powerful, and self-talk is a critical life skill that students can control and take on themselves. They do not have to wait for others to encourage them. You are teaching them the tools to encourage themselves.
How do we do this?
If you have the time, hold a brief discussion on feelings or test anxiety before the test. You might ask questions such as “What kinds of negative or anxious thoughts sometimes enter your head?” Or, “How does your body react when you feel nervous?” As a class, discuss what you can do when that happens. You can also take a look at some of the lesson plans and activities here.
Keep it simple. Discuss as a class some positive messages they can say to themselves. Write these on the board. Have them select from the list or choose one of their own. Then, have them write the positive message on a sticky note. Take a look at some examples below.
Then, decide where the note will go. Some of these may need to be adjusted depending on the testing rules by your school, district, or state. In addition, some students take the test in a different room from their classroom. Here are just a few ideas:
Keep it on their desks.
Put up in the room in a dedicated space.
Put in an envelope that they decorate and hang in the room.
Or my favorite: Put it in their pocket.
During the Test
Tell your students that while they are taking the test, it is likely (and normal) for them to feel stuck, unsure, defeated, or to question themselves. When this happens, take a deep breath and remember what you wrote to yourself. Make it actionable:
Touch their hand to the sticky note on their desk.
Look on the wall where their sticky note is (or was).
Find their special envelope on the wall.
Place their hand on their pocket.
Put their hand in their pocket and hold the note.
Tell them there is no limit to the number of times they can do this. Being mindful of our thoughts is the goal. Moving through the nervousness and coming out on the other side is what is key.
Again, depending on what you as the test administrator are allowed to do, you can even cue students to refer to their note. Maybe you stand by the wall of notes. Maybe you model by touching your own note to your desk. Maybe you take a deep breath and clutch at your pocket. Normalizing nervousness and showing how to work through it is a powerful teaching moment.
After the Test
Take a collective breath. Hold a discussion on the effects of the Mindful Messages. This can be done whole class, with a partner, or through private journal reflection. Keep the discussion focused on the process of mindfulness, not on IF they did what the note said. You may ask, "What was it like being aware of our thoughts and feelings?" You can prompt them with, “How did you feel after you referred to your note?” “What did you do next?” Allowing students to process how this worked for them is the key to moving this into a lifelong skill.
Summary
No words are more powerful than the words we say to ourselves. Tests are a part of life. Nervousness. Anxiety (whether as a state or trait) is a part of life. What you are teaching in this moment is not about this one test. It’s bigger than that. You are teaching them to be kind to themselves. You are instilling a confidence and a strategy that can take them far beyond this exam and your classroom. You are, indeed, changing lives.
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For training for your school, check out our website or contact me directly. We’ve been helping schools all over the state and would love to help your school be ready for the B.E.S.T. and the F.A.S.T.
Let’s Talk it Out on the Socials: (links at the bottom of the page)
What are some other ways you've helped ease your students' minds before a big end-of-year test? Share some thoughts at any of the socials below!
Resources
Before the test – try an activity to teach positive self-talk like this activity from Centervention here: https://www.centervention.com/positive-self-talk-for-kids/
Or these activities from Counselor Ashley https://www.counselorchelsey.com/blog/positiveselftalkactivities
Have highschoolers? https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/MPS-English/CAO/Documents/PBIS/behavior-lesson-positive-self-talk.pdf
Love this thought sheet for older students AND adults on reframing our thoughts https://cwc.wwu.edu/files/2021-09/wwu_positive_self_talk_worksheet.pdf
Tips for high school / adult https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/tackling-test-anxiety/
InnerDrive blog – 6 sessions on test anxiety https://blog.innerdrive.co.uk/test-anxiety-and-uncertainty
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