Testing, testing. It seems there’s always some kind of assessment looming, no matter the season. It’s a stressful time, for sure, and can be overwhelming for both teachers and students. That’s exactly why we need to focus our energy and give our kiddos what they need to succeed! You’ve spent the time to teach strategies, techniques, and test taking tips, but have you forgotten the most important thing?
Encourage your kids to ROCK THE TEST!More important than any strategy you can teach or tip you can share is letting your kids know that you believe in them and that they can “ROCK THE TEST”! It seems so simple, but in the stress of everyday teaching it can be so easy to forget this! We get stressed and we show our stress to our kids by letting them see our frustration. This frustration can be unsettling for our kiddos and, although unintentional, it creates a negative atmosphere around THE test.
What are some strategies to combat this negativity? Well, one thing is to simply compliment your kids! Be specific and let them know exactly what they are good at and how that is going to propel them toward success on the test. You can leave them little notes on their desks and/or give them verbal compliments. Either way, this is setting a positive tone. Do this for each student in the days leading up to the test. Think about how good you would feel if your principal came in and complimented your teaching two days before a big test. Wouldn’t you glow? wouldn’t you feel a little more confident? Your kiddos are going to feel the same way!
Another great pretesting strategy is to have your students come up with positive quotes or slogans that promote success and a growth mindset. For example, “Rock The Test” or “let Your Light Shine”. My students love this activity! Now, plaster the walls and bulletin boards with these slogans and watch the smiles spread!
None of these ideas are earth shattering! It’s nothing too difficult and it’s nothing you probably haven’t done before, but we forget. Let’s be honest, the best of us forget because we get caught up in the testing frenzy and the stress we feel. It’s totally normal, but let’s do better and try to remember to build them up before the test. Point out the positives and encourage them to do their best and rock the test! If they see, truly see, that we believe in them, they will believe in themselves. We need to give them that. We need to remember to give them that.♥
