Water, Oxygen, and Study Skills are the Keys to Success
Have you ever seen a student lose it on test day? I’m betting the answer is yes. I definitely have while serving as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher. Maybe a test was torn in half or a keyboard was thrown on the floor? A student cried or just gave up? All are signs of test anxiety.
Yet, your students can learn to curb it now with your help. I promise it’s easy! Once your students discover strategies that work for them, that next test will go so much more smoothly for you both. If a student is able to refocus and finish a test because those feelings of anxiety are reduced or even eliminated, his or her scores will improve.
Let’s talk about some tactics to help.
You can’t guarantee your students will have a healthy meal at home – something with more protein than sugar. And, you can’t provide every child with a meal when he gets to school. Suggest it, but don’t beat kids up on this one. However, your students will perform better if they’re hydrated. More than 70% of a human brain is water. Encourage water bottles, only water, especially on test days. Energy drinks are not the answer to performing well on a test!
Water is good for all of your students, but it’s especially important for your students with test anxiety. Drinking a and isn’t the center of attention. I’ve seen this be successful with ALL ages.
While we’re talking about oxygen, let’s talk about breathing. Your anxious students may think everything is out of control, but you can teach them they can control their breathing. If they learn to control their breathing, they can learn to control other things, too.
There are a lot of breathing exercises out there. Consider teaching one to your class. I’ve been in rooms where teachers planned a breathing exercise daily. It can be a group activity, or it can be something you teach students to do any time they become anxious. A popular breathing exercise is called box breathing. Have your students imagine a box aka a square or even a door or window, something they’ll be able to see while taking a test. They’ll simply breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and then breathe out for another 4 seconds as they move around the “box.” Encourage them to do it two or three times or whenever they don’t feel calm. It gives students a chance to refocus.
Finally, the best way for your students to reduce or eliminate test anxiety is to study. Just ask Dr. Craig N. Sawchuk of the Mayo Clinic. Yet, many students don’t study because they are missing study skills or think it’s unnecessary. Studies show that the more often students touch or interact with material, the more they learn. Homework is a great way for students to practice. You can also create an entrance ticket where students have to answer a question you have on the board, word by word. Each student writes one word of the sentence that answers the question on the board as they enter the room. That one word may incur more accountability than anything else in class, including homework. A quick exit ticket that reminds students of something important from class is another point of contact with the material you want them to learn. This extra practice supplements study skills.
Give your students as many opportunities to work with the material being tested as possible. A finished test is better for you and the student. While test anxiety is real, it’s not undefeatable.