How to Reduce Stress During Standardized Testing
Have you ever been so stressed that you just couldn’t think straight? This happens to some of our students as well when testing season comes around. Here are some ways to help!
Positive Vibes
Keep positive vibes in the classroom to reduce stress! You can:
Decorate the walls with positive messages like “You can do it!” “You got this!” and “Believe in yourself!”
Talk to your students about how everyone is growing and learning.
Celebrate your students successes. Did someone do a task without being reminded? Did someone show kindness to a fellow student? Point out the positive.
Keep your sense of humor. When something goes wrong, our students look to us to see how to react. When possible, take a moment to laugh and model acceptance of mistakes.
Keep the Routine
It may be tempting to relax the rules or change up the schedule when testing is not in session, but this often makes kids feel a little unsettled. Try to keep your classroom routines as close to normal as possible.
Show Them the Format
Though you usually can’t show students the actual test ahead of time, you can go over the formatting of the test to reduce anxiety about what it will look like. Have your students filled in bubbles before? If not, practice this ahead of time.
Set expectations ahead of time so students know how long each section will take, what they will be working on, and what they can do if they finish early (often students are advised to look over their answers, then quietly read a book to themselves).
Meet Students Where They Are
Your students will have different reactions to standardized testing. Some will not be concerned at all. Others may be worried ahead of time, even losing sleep over the testing.
You may consider speaking to students individually or in small groups about testing. Why? You may have students who have very different reactions to testing. If you speak to the whole classroom and send the message that testing is very important, your worried students will become more anxious. Similarly, if you send the message that they should not worry about the test, you may have some students who are ready to blow off the test rather than try their best.
It is a delicate balance between encouraging students to concentrate and do their best, while not causing stress. You know your students well by this time of the year, so think about if they all need the same message or if you might present things differently to different students.
Teach Ways to Calm the Mind
If you haven’t already, this is a great time to include a bit of mindfulness, yoga, or deep breathing into your classroom. Movement is also a great way to get nervous energy out. Try some things ahead of testing time to see what works for your students.
You Got This!
If you are anxious about testing season yourself, the best thing you can do is address your own stress. Yes, really! These kids are tuned in to our feelings and they sense when we are tense. Take care of yourself and keep perspective during this season.
Need a tiny bit of help reducing your stress or your students’ stress? Check out our free You Got This! coloring page. This is great for seatwork before the test or for students to work on between sections. It is also a nice mindful activity for teachers during this stressful time of year. We wish you the best and we know you and your students will do well. Sending good testing season vibes your way!