Test Anxiety

I am having test anxiety. I teach ninth graders and there is an end-of-course test in May. It's in May, but I'm having nightmares now. How am I preparing them? Am I teaching them the right thing? How can anything prepare them for a standardized test? How will tomorrow's lesson effect their scores?

This is a problem. I have a problem. I'm not thinking of teaching them to be lifelong readers and writers. I'm thinking of teaching them to be good test-takers in May. It's almost as if I've bought into the hype that says that test will show how good of a teacher I am.

And it won't.

The lives that I touch may or may not do well on that test, but they'll remember the lifelong lessons from my class. They'll remember that we start each day with a little reading, because reading is like a muscle and you use it or you lose it. They'll hopefully remember that they shouldn't "think" in their writing--they should just get to the point and know. They'll remember their ma'ams and pleases and thank yous. They'll hopefully be more likely to pick up after themselves. And there is no doubt that they'll remember that there is a book out there for them. They just have to know how to look for it.

The test in May won't show all the little lessons that we've covered so far this school year. It won't measure my impact on their lives. But for someone on the outside, it will measure my effectiveness as a teacher. And that is what is giving me nightmares.

A New Type of Write-Around

I love doing write arounds in class. It's a chance for students to get their thoughts on paper. It's a great quick assessment for me, the teacher. I can check for comprehension. I can check writing skills. I can check for a pulse.

So I tried a new write around today. I gave students a topic and had them start at their desk. Then, instead of having them pass their papers, we passed their bodies. Consider this write around meets musical chairs. Except I didn't take away any chairs. They left their papers on their desk and took only their pencil. I played some music and they roamed the room. Once the music stopped, they had to sit, read, and write.

You would think that having them get up and move would cause chaos. It didn't. They loved it. They jumped in a read what their peers wrote and responded. Some are still getting used to writing under pressure, but others wrote lengthy responses. All in all, huge success. They liked it, and I got my write around done in a new and engaging way!