Helping Students With Test Anxiety

Well, this is very interesting speculation, but none of the suggestions are evidence based. In fact, they may be based on perpetuated ideas. Try this link for an evidence based solution. There's a link to the actual study in the article. https://blogs.psychcentral.com/stress-better/2016/03/rethinking-test-anxiety-from-anxious-to-excited/

test anxiety is really not all that bad compared to don't have enough money for food anxiety suffered by millions of American children whose parents can't afford the nytimes

There isn't one suggestion in here, at all, that perhaps what is to be done is to dismantle or otherwise massively reform the quite profitable high-stakes testing regime in this country through organized political action. Guess that's not "mindful" enough.

In my psychoanalysis I frequently do hypnosis with patients who are anxious about tests. From 4th grade quizzes to state bar exams patients tell me of feelings of confidence that help their memory and reduce anxiety.

A little bit of stress can be a good thing, if you know how to handle it. I played on a community tennis team a long time ago, I was a little stressed, because playing on a team was different than playing tennis with friends in a non-team environment, but the stress of league play made me a better player. It honed my skills. Stress is a part of life. When I'd give tests as a teacher or get them as a kid, I tried to take it, the way my tennis partner and I did, especially when we were losing: 1 step at a time. I would tell kids to do the best they could, and that's how I approached tests. My worth, nor theirs,' was measured exclusively by a test score. Of course, grades are important, and sometimes a test score can determine your future, as with medical boards, the Bar Exam, etc., but we all need to find that happy balance between dealing with stress and being overwhelmed by it.

I was never helped with test anxiety and I did fine. I don't even remember *having* test anxiety. I think anxiety is being imposed on kids by over-protective parents, an obsession with competition, and a society that doesn't allow children a childhood. If tests are shown to be a way of life - and they are - they will be taken in stride.

So glad to see this program for the younger kids and hope it helps. I always tested horribly as I suffered from anxiety and fear of failure my entire childhood. Put a test in front of me with a “time limit” and forget it. If it was not for America and community colleges that did not require academic test results for admittance I would never been able to enter a University. My poor testing ability was not reflective of my academic smarts and went on with super high grades.

Ironically, we are now trying to outmaneuver and defuse the response that nature programmed in to us. The extra energy was formerly used for activities such as outmaneuvering a sabre-toothed tiger, which was used up quickly and appropriately by shinnying up a leadwood tree. Now confronted with a paper tiger, we are stuck with a dose of adrenalin, but must remain sitting while trying to be calm. Who needs enemies when we have ourselves and our self-defeating culture?

Tests measure teaching. How about letting students know that?

Don't you think we've had enough coddling? There *is* a reality out there, folks.

The article states "“It’s important for us as a culture to stop framing tests as inherently negative,” Dr. Brady said." And yet, as a teacher, I hear constantly that students MUST perform well on the state test. By state law, 50% of my effectiveness as a teacher is based on the state test - remembering that I don't get the results until the next school year, so any changes I make are either for students I no longer have, or for students who took the test with a different teacher the previous year. Yes, "evaluative situations" occur throughout our lives - but very few of those are one-shot, high stakes tests such as the ones that our education system now erroneously revolves around. The data show, clearly, that test scores have remained static for decades, and that the highest correlation exists between parental income and student scores, followed by parental educational level. Very little else correlates. Yes, some schools perform better, and yes, some schools have raised test scores beyond that correlation - but that requires community involvement. Parents and the community must support - and be directly involved in - education for the system to be improved. That may eventually show up in test scores, but while reducing student anxiety about the tests may help individual students, it won't do anything to solve the underlying issues that the test results describe.

Pressuring children to attain certain test scores to support evidence of their teachers' effectiveness is the worst possible disservice to children. Been there, done that. I always told my students, "I will not let you fail if you work with me to learn." I was despised by administrators who knew I was NOT "teaching test-taking skills," but rather teaching the children (teens) the actual material on which they are tested (math.) The day before the test, I told my students they had nothing to worry about, as they had learned everything that they might find on the test. I had an 86% pass rate in a district that notoriously averaged a 16% pass rate. The key is to minimize the importance of the test and maximize children's confidence in their ability to learn. One of my favorite, and most effective methods, involved assuring the students I would explain processes as often as they needed. After a lesson, my question was always, "Shall I do another example?" Then, they'd diligently work "independently" in groups of 2 or 3. Education is a human endeavor that cannot be measured. People vary so widely in interests, abilities, and personalities, there is NO WAY to accurately MEASURE educational progress or teacher effectiveness. A teacher who sits at a desk is not a teacher. A teacher engaged with groups of learners will instill knowledge for lifetimes of success. Retired 2007--classroom teacher and administrator. Phi Delta Kappa life member The teacher is God!

I'm a former educator, and as many in my profession will tell you, one giant end of course assessment on a multiple choice test is a NO WAY to gauge the actual success of any student, or the quality or success of actual instruction. But, politicians love'em, because they can crunch the numbers into a computer and instantly deem a student, instructor, or given institution a "success" or "failure." Education is a PROCESS, not a PRODUCT, and the entire "business model" mindset is a one of the greatest hoaxes perpetuated on the public. It's pretty obvious at this point where it's gotten us --- we have abdicated our edge on the world market as creative thinkers and problem solvers to a class of drones who have to do better on some standardized test created by some nebulous entity a test because students in China, or wherever, are doing" better" than we are. Throw in the mania for charter schools that skim the best students off the top of the spectrum, depleted budgets and personnel, and public school systems are saddled with the "failing" epitaph which is neither accurate nor warranted. In the small country high school where I taught , our students regularly outperformed expectations , in spite of all the difficulties, and our reward was to be told, "we'll just have to do better next year" as the parameters continually shift in a giant shell game of numbers.

21-yr educator here; I run an AP program and an IB school. We administer over 4000 AP and IB exams each May and I see test anxiety on a large scale. The real issue here is fear of failure. We've conditioned kids of all ages to be terrified of performing poorly on any assessment. Once kids reach high school, test anxiety often results in absenteeism, cheating, and negative self-worth. It's incredibly sad and frustrating. Instead of failure being an end, we need to help kids see it as a beginning. It's OK not to know things. It's OK not to make an A. And it should be OK to fail, step back, figure out where you went wrong, adjust, and move forward.

Been teaching math - that infamously high anxiety discipline- for more than 30 years. I always pass out cookies with my tests. For middle school students, the pleasure of eating a cookie (especially a double-stuff Oreo) interferes somewhat with negative emotions. Dispensing cookies also communicates that even though I will be grading your test, I still care about you as a person. It can be very hard for students to believe that the regard you have for them is separate from their performance. And children very much need to feel valued by their teachers. When I moved on to teaching high school, I thought cookies would be less effective - turns out it is equally, if not more. High school students don’t mind being “babied” when stressed. Turns out they like stickers on quizzes and tests too. We are too quick to medicalize “normal” feelings of insecurity and concern. Simple gestures of caring are often very effective.

The article seems reluctant to discuss the consequences of growing up very critical parents feeding constant criticisms to a child. Sometimes the parents go beyond mere criticisms to demeaning comments meant to undermine the child's confidence in themselves. The pattern of constant criticism is often internalized by the child so that the child is often very critical of themselves. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. When you are taking tests on which your career choices are governed, it can result in severe test anxiety

Wonderful advice for parents. Teachers and administrators also need to be aware of this. Test prep at school begins weeks before testing and the teachers can be as anxious as the students. The pressure is on for teachers and they share their anxiety with the students!

I used to freeze up so badly when taking a test, my mind went blank and I just sat there, wishing to die. Most of my teachers back then were nuns (not helpful) but I did have the good fortune of a lay person in the 4th grade. She immediately recognized my fear and after the test, she asked me to see her after class. She asked in a very general way about the questions on the test. I was completely unsure of the material. She made me a promise - if I met with her after class every day, and discussed, reviewed and did mock quizzes like the ones she gave, I would do well. And I did. Her secret was getting me so familiar and comfortable with the material that I would be prepared to answer any test questions. She suggested that I ask my Mom to help quiz me at night and to review my homework as well. The fear and anxiety I felt taking any test wasn't the test per se, but my insecurity in not really knowing the subject material. It sounds so silly and basic but for me, that was the missing link in my test taking issues. Between the help from my teacher and my Mom, I began to do well and not freeze up on any test day. Once the root of my fear was realized and addressed, I never froze up again. I realize the solution to my issue is not a one-size-fits-all remedy. But it might be a starting point for some individuals. The real key was a teacher who recognized what was going on and was willing to take the time and effort to help one of her students.

No mention of "mind freeze"? That was how years of anxious testing manifested itself in my case. Over studying was my compensation. The cause was the format of tests and the time limit. If time was not an issue, I did well. If I could ask questions about a question, I did well. Often I saw more correct answers that a multiple choice test allowed which was the origin of my anxiety. Learning how to take such tests reduces anxiety but then you are studying for the test givers' expectations.

Before tests, students should have physical exercise. And all students who are open to it, should be encouraged to learn meditation.

I tutor high school students in math, a subject that arouses anxiety in all but the most confident. Kids, and even adults, often freeze when confronted by a math problem, even if they are capable of solving it. I hoped this article would offer some real tactics to reduce test anxiety, not deep breathing exercises and useless generalities. At any rate, here is what I have found to help. First, tell yourself, "I am only going to solve this one problem. This is the only problem that exists. Time is not important." The idea is to focus and not to become distracted by worrying about finishing in time. Second, get something on paper immediately. If the problem involves linear equations, write y = mx + b. If it involves mechanics, write F = MA. You don't have to start solving the problem; the idea is to unblock the freeze. Third, sketch a picture and label it with information from the problem. This is helpful in geometry and trig, of course, but it is also helpful in those infamous, "Toni threw a ball into the air from a height of 5 feet ..... how long before the ball fell to earth," problems. Again, getting something on paper helps to unblock the freeze. That's all I have. I wish this article had given me more.

Generally in NYC high schools stress is felt by student, parent administration and teacher. Often the student and teacher suffers the most in our current situation.

Over the last 15 years, testing young children has become a money maker for large corporations. In addition to costing school systems millions of dollars, it deprives students of valuable instruction time. The obvious solution to test anxiety among young children is to significantly limit the amount of testing and return to instruction that emphasizes critical thinking skills, creativity, and problem solving. It is stunning that the author, who is typically quite progressive, never offered this as a solution.