Test Anxiety Buster

I thought I wasn’t.  I thought they weren’t.  But in my classroom, we were all highly anxious about the standardized assessments, even though my students were all prepared for the test.  Here were some signs I noticed.

1. I had a hard time focusing.  I needed to remind myself to take deep breaths several times a day.  Normally, I exercise intentional breathing just once in the morning and once in the afternoon, and my days are great.
2. Kids started acting out.  Their behaviors were not major concerns, but they appeared in more people and more often than they had before.

I told them often, “You have everything you need to know in your hippocampus.  We’ll practice bringing that information out by using our prefrontal cortex.”  This was so true.  And I realized how important it was for these kids to connect to themselves to train their own minds.  So this is what I did today.

Me: Today, we are going to prepare our minds to relax and be resilient. Find your mindful body and find your anchor.

Me:  Breathe in, (pause) breath out……(pause)

Me:  You are going to visit your brain.  You walk there until you find a door that says “hippocampus”.  This is a heavy door.  But use your maximum strength to push it open.  (pause) Great.  Now keep walking.

Me: What do you see in this room?

Student: I see several neurons connecting and making sparks.

Me: Interesting.  Now, I want you to find the poster on the wall that says “Calm”.  When you find it, put your hand on your heart. 

Students: (Put their hands on their hearts (almost all of them!))

Me: Now take it off the wall and put it in your bag.

Students: (Some visualize, some act it out with their eyes closed)

Me: Next, I want you to find the poster on the wall that says “Confidence”.  Do not choose “Confused” (students smile).  Look very mindfully; the word is “Confidence”.  (pause)

When you find it, put your hand on your heart.

Me: Super.  Let’s put it in the bag.  

Me: Now, we are going to leave this room.  Open the door, leave, and close the door.

Me: Let’s look for the door that says “prefrontal cortex’.  This door is locked.  Find the key in your bag and pick it up.  Open the door. 

Me:  When you enter, you see someone.  That is “YOU”.  You are going to meet yourself. Pat their shoulder.  Did they turn around? 

Students: (nods)

Me: Now you are going to pull out the two posters you brought, Calm and Confidence.

Students: (visualize or act it out)

Me: And give them to yourself.

Me: Now, breathe in, (pause) and breathe out….

Me: When you don’t hear the bell any longer, raise your hand.

Me: (strikes a singing bowl softly. It echoes)

Students: (Raise their hands as the echo fades out)

Me: Now, open your eyes.

Students: (Another big breath)

Me: You are prepared.  Open your computer and begin your practice test.

Although there were several technical difficulties during the practice test, all of the students exhibited calmness.  After the session, we came back to the circle and discussed what worked for their test performance.  Several students mentioned how and when they used breathing techniques when a problem was too challenging.  One student said she rolled up the posters and ate them.  Another student, who is often quiet in class, volunteered, “I was calm the whole time and never lost confidence.”

The inner contentment and self confidence of students is not measurable on paper or on a computer.  However, it is still incredible that young people experience and notice their own confidence and calmness within themselves.  I am so humbled to be able to share a few silent moments with these youngsters every day.  They make me believe in us!