State testing is here and that means 1 of 2 things is present, anticipation or anxiety. Sadly, many students are anxious or fearful of failing, while other students anticipate their success on the test. As educators, we are either worried or confident about our students’ performance.
So how do we get the BEST performance out of our students?
In order to get the BEST result possible, we must create the BEST conditions for anxiety to decrease so anticipation can increase. In this post, I want to share a few ideas that will go a long way in getting the most out of your students.
7 Strategies to Successful State Testing Performance
I don’t care if you pass; I care if you grow. Most kids are worried because of proficiency, but the antidote to this problem is progress. Students must hear that you only care about their growth. At the end of the day, true learning is about growth, not passing.
Goals Matter - Before you jump into any endeavor, you need to know your goal. Students need to know their goal for over all performance and growth a s well as individual skill and strategy goals to help them meet the overall goal.
Plan of Attack - If you’re going to win a war, you need a plan of attack. Students need that too. Be sure to review with the class and individual students their plan of attack to get growth on the test.
Timing & Pacing - For students to reach their goal, they need to be reminded of how long they should take on the test. If you finish too soon, you probably won’t grow. Also, helping students set pacing goals for what question they should be on after the 1st or 2nd hour can go a long way.
Celebrate Strengths - Students need to be reminded of what strengths they possess in reading, problem solving, etc. This is essential to get them motivated to do their best. Strengths overcome struggles.
Parent Deposits - Some students need extra encouragement from their parents. An email reminder to parents can go a long way, but a personal phone call of encouragement, gratitude, and reminders to parents will go exponentially further.
Smile No Matter What - Serotonin decreases stress, and nothing gets more serotonin in a student’s mind than a smile from you to them. Give your kids encouragement with a smile and watch the stress decrease by the second.
Motivation adds 10 Points on the Test
The skills have been taught. The students have been prepared, but will they execute? The answer to that question boils down to one question.
Are the students motivated?
If they’re motivated, scores will go up, but if they’re not, performance goals will not be met. At the end of the day our first priority is to motivate and inspire all students. These strategies will go a long way in getting your students to grow in their performance.
What strategies will you use to get the growth?
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