Testing Strategies

Testing begins this week across the country and in Indiana… please take a look at how we can ease the tension in our classrooms and at home this week!!

WATER WATER and more WATER

1. Monday morning- give every student a post-it note or card and write what you have noticed about their intelligence, gifts or talents!
2. 3rd- 10th grade- briefly share in a minute or two of some downtime… Howard Gardner’s researched work on multiple intelligences… make sure your students know that we test to 2 intelligences, not 8!
3. Three times at least, stop the activity of the classroom, and have your students take some deep breaths as if blowing up a balloon… count to five on the inhales and 5 on the exhales… then stand up and have them stretch, exercise in place for a few minutes.. I will put up a link today to some brain breaks…
4. Every morning, especially this week, have a basket and notes by the door so that as students check in they can write out their concerns, worries or any thought that is stopping up the working memory…
5. Show a funny you tube for two minutes to get positive emotion flowing! I will also post a couple, because positive emotion broadens and deepens our ability to pull from the working memory and pre-frontal cortex!
6. Thank them for being so willing to take a test where so many students are left feeling incapable and unsuccessful
7. Remind them that the process of taking the test and learning how to focus, follow directions and being persistent- TRYING- during these few hours matters the most!! It will help them in their careers, summer jobs and just feeling happier about themselves!
8. Create time this week for sharing after the test… even if only for a few minutes, allow students to talk about their experiences of these tests!!
9. Play music and often… breathe and place some quiet time into the days!