Do Teachers or Students Hate Testing More? Yes!

It's testing time again. That lovely time of year when teachers and students both dread the requirements set before them. How can everyone be successful on standardized tests that ask the same questions, in the exact same way to everyone? These tests do not care about differences in learning preferences or personality. They do not take into account home lives and the stresses that students face outside of school. So, how do we as teachers help these students focus and be successful on a test that may seem judgemental and so discouraging?

The first strategy may seem simple, but it is very important. Talk about their stresses and anxieties. Help them feel listened to and validated. That step alone can alleviate a great deal of stress. Secondly, most testing formats have sample questions for students to look at and practice with. These can be a useful tool in helping students feel less stressed about the actual test. The unknown can be stressful, so eliminating a portion of what is unknown (the format) can really help students feel more confident as they approach the test itself.

Teach strategies whenever you can. There are so many mindfulness strategies that can help students cope with anxiety and stress. These are useful to students who experience stress and trauma at home, but are also useful to students who have other triggers, like testing, that can cause high anxiety levels. There are also a number of test taking strategies, like reading the questions first, that can help students be more successful when they approach the tests they must take. By giving them these tools in their mental tool box, each student can approach these tests with more confidence.

The final strategy I want to discuss is one of the most important in my personal opinion. Help students recognize that while they should do the very best they can, they are not just a test score. These tests do not define their worth as a person, and students need to be reminded of this often. Also, remember that these tests do not define you as a teacher either. So, during this time, don’t focus on the stress, but instead find ways to be positive and encouraging to those around you.