Practical Tips for Reducing Test Anxiety

Practical Tips for Reducing Test Anxiety

Study Effectively:

     1. Study in a quiet, neat, uncluttered, distraction free place.

       2. Make sure notes are legible, and easy to follow  

          3. Set up a study schedule. Factor in breaks (at least every 30 minutes, if not 15 minutes). Get up, stretch, get a snack. Include a test-free activity about every two hours or so, to give your brain a break to process information.

         4.When possible, study when you are most alert & feel awake. Could be at night or morning, whenever you are most able to focus.

         5. Teach yourself to pace your study time. For example, after 90 minutes of math work, take a 30 minute break doing something FUN.

         6. Talk out loud while solving problems or learning information. Saying & hearing information helps to embed it in memory.

         7. Ask yourself what you problem/questions you are most afraid of-and study that material more.

         8. But review previously learned material. It will help build your confidence & that way you will have a good base of material.

         9. DO NOT CRAM THE NIGHT/DAY BEFORE. You will stress yourself out more and won’t learn any new material.

         10. Reward yourself when you feel you’ve worked hard or learned a concept.

Reducing Anxiety about Test-Taking:

       1. Take care of yourself.  DO NOT SKIMP ON SLEEP, EVER! Get at least 8 hours a night…especially before the test. If you have trouble sleeping try using melatonin to help you sleep about a week/few days prior to the test (so you know how it affects you). Eat healthily and work in some physical exercise every day. Exercise helps burn off stress & excess energy.

         2. Take practice exams.

         3. Come prepared to the test with all necessary supplies, etc.

         4. Dress comfortably.

         5. Remember to check yourself & relax as necessary.

         6. Use positive self-talk. “I got this!” “ I can do this.” I KNOW this.” Find a sort of “mantra” and say it over & over until you believe it. Practice it during studying.

Effective Test Taking Strategies:

       1. Make sure you read/listen carefully to instructions. If you can, write down most important parts or underline them (especially pay attention to “not” or any/all types of words

       2. Do a “brain dump.” Write down all the info you are afraid you will forget. For example, write down a formula that is right on your mind or names of people. That way you will have it down if you freeze.

       3. Preview the test.  Look over the sections of the test. Think about the total amount of time that you have to complete the test.  Look at the point values that you can earn on each section of the examination.  

       4. In multiple choice, don’t get sidetracked looking for patterns (like the last 3 answers have been C, so it must be C).

       5. Don’t rush. If you find yourself rushing, put your pencil down, take a deep breath, let it out slowly, repeat your mantra, do this 3-4 times, then resume the test

       6. Unless you have evidence otherwise, go with your 1st response. Don’t 2nd guess yourself.

       7. Save hardest ones for last.

       8. Use time leftover to check answers about which you were unsure.

Dr. Sarah Graves, LSSP

Sources:

1.http://www.interventioncentral.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pdfs_interventions/testtips.pdf

2.http://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/children/test-anxiety

3.http://www.aboutourkids.org/files/articles/test_anxiety_E.pdf

Tips on Reducing Anxiety

 

Tips on Reducing Anxiety (so that you control it and it doesn’t control you).

1. Reward yourself for effort. People with anxiety are afraid to start projects, or answer questions, because they fear being wrong so much. If you start a scary math problem or begin a project-tell yourself “Good job. You were scared, and you did it anyway).

2. Use a ton of positive self-talk. Find good things you did & praise yourself in your head or out loud.

3. Use thought-stopping techniques when you get in the negative thought cycle.  For example, “Math, I can’t do math, I am STUPID at math, I am going to fail.....NO, I won’t talk to myself that way, I CAN do math. I CAN DO THIS. I am smart and I work really hard. I will NOT fail. If I fail though, my parents, friends, and family still love me. I will not be attacked or beaten up. I will not be stoned with rotten peanuts, and I bet I will do better than I think I will.” Feels odd, since you are probably used to beating yourself up in your head, but it will work if you do it.

4. Learn relaxation techniques (listed below). Practice them 2-3 times a day, so that you can do them before & during the test. These will take practice and it will be hard, BUT, there is NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY TO DO THEM:) You can adjust them to fit you & your situation. The idea is to get your mind of the source of the anxiety (stupid tests) and be more in the present and focus on your body, so that your mind can relax & focus on what is most important.

A. Deep breathing. Inhale slowly through your nose on a count of 5, exhale very slowly on a count of 10 through your mouth. Pay attention to your breathing and imagine the breath is stress & anxiety leaving your body.

B. Close your eyes & imagine a place & time where you are most relaxed. Then imagine what you would hear, smell, and feel at that place. Really focus on being there in your head, so that you can give your brain a break. Your body will naturally start to relax as you remember & start to almost “experience” that place.

C. Progressive muscle relaxations

Starting with your toes and moving up, tighten/squeeze your muscles as tight/hard as you can for a count of 5. Then let them out for a count of 3. Move to one foot, then the other, then one calf, then the other, then one thigh, then the other,  then your rear, then your belly, then your fingers on one hand, then the hand, then do your hands one at time, then your arms one at a time, then your shoulders (both), then your neck, and finally your face. You should feel less tense when you are done.

5. Exercise daily. Moderate to rigorous exercise helps reduce stress AND burn off excess energy.

6. Get good sleep. Turn off all electronics (yes cell phone/tablet/tv ) & do non-stimulating things before bed (like reading a physics textbook). Make sure your room is dark, quiet (use a fan or humidifier to filter out noises), and cool.

7. Consider taking melatonin to help regulate sleep (talk to your doctor to make sure it is ok).

8. Avoid caffeine when possible. It will ramp you up & make anxiety worse.

9. Get some sunshine & time outside. Both are proven to lift moods & reduce anxiety.

10. Fish oil has been shown to reduce anxiety (and depression in people with clinical depression). Talk with your doctor to see if taking fish oil would be safe. The fish oil needs high levels of EPA to be most effective.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201111/fish-oil-and-anxiety

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/11/19/fish-oil-calms-anxiety-osu-study-finds.html

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/746870

Dr. Sarah Graves, LSSP

Sources:

1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/relaxation-technique/SR00007

2. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm

3. http://www.spring.org.uk/2011/08/feeling-anxious-5-scientifically-proven-relaxation-techniques.php

Inclusion IS NOT a Program...

One of the reasons I love twitter is because of the insight I gain from my PLN (Professional Learning Network).  I love the fact that I can thumb through my timeline and grow and be challenged as a professional educator.

Tonight while reading I was directed to a great blog post from @JewishSpecialEd on inclusion.  I was reminded why I do what I do.  Even thinking of the 3 years that I've been in Community ISD, I think about how much different "inclusion" is now compared to when I first began.  I feel like for most of our teachers there has been a complete change in mindset of having all students in class being given access to the same curriculum as their peers.  Having the opportunity to be in so many different classrooms at every level from PPCD through high school I have experienced those moments when a student gets...really gets...an algebra concept that they would not have even been exposed to in a resource classroom.  Now, these students with special needs may still have an IEP and we are taking an individualized approach to their educational process, but they are being exposed to everything their peers are being exposed to.  Personally, I do not see the disadvantage of this at all.

I want to share with you this excerpt from the above mentioned blog.  Perfectly stated...

"Accommodations are important.  Awareness is necessary.  But inclusion is not a program. Inclusion is what we do.  It's the attitude we have.  It is the way we treat others and the way they treat us.  Inclusion is the opportunity to learn together and from one another.  And we do it because it is the right thing to do.  Period.  Inclusion is right.  Inclusion is just.  So we do it."

"Inclusion is not a service, placement, or program......Inclusion is a MINDSET!"

Zach Snow, Behavior Coach

Image from http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/10/inclusion-not-always-the-answer/

Nick Brady ::: Teachers Please Watch This Video

I came across this incredible video from an incredible young man named Nick Brady.  

It's about 6 minutes long but well worth your time.

Zach Snow, Behavior Coach

ADHD...What is it REALLY???

ADD….ADHD….What is it REALLY???

First, let me start on my pet peeve….THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ADD. Let me repeat, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ADD. Ok, so at one time, Attention Deficit Disorder, was the correct name for a constellation of symptoms including hyperactivity, inattentiveness, impulsivity, and other drive teachers  nuts behaviors. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV TR) , defines those symptoms into three sub categories: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), (1) Predominately Inattentive type,  (2) Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, and (3) Combined type.  Doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists and anyone else diagnosing a child with ADHD should use the DSM-IV TR as the reference when diagnosing ADHD. Therefore, ADD is no longer a relevant term. Ok, stepping off my soapbox now.

ADHD is a term that is thrown around so often that I am quite skeptical that a child has ADHD until I see them in person. And then, only when their behaviors are far beyond that of their peers, AND it occurs in more than one setting. I was very inattentive in my math classes in school. Of course I was.  I struggle in math and would frequently tune out when I didn’t understand the material. Didn’t mean I had ADHD, just that math was hard for me. That’s why good clinicians observe the child in several different settings. If that’s not possible, they at least get information from the child’s teacher or someone else other than the parents, usually in the form of rating scales. They also won’t typically diagnose a child with ADHD who is under the age of 6. That is just good practice, if you have ever seen a 5 year old on a sugar high, you know why. The point is that ADHD is not just a kid who has some trouble paying attention (we all do) or who is active (isn’t that a child’s job???), or has trouble making friends (let’s face it, some kids are shy), but a child who is ALWAYS impulsive, inattentive, or hyperactive and consistently has poor relations with other children, may be ADHD. One must look across all the settings to determine that. While ADHD kids may love PE, they probably don’t have great interactions with peers and have more trouble playing correctly with the balls. They may find music class too loud, as many children with ADHD have sensory difficulties too. You may see ADHD symptoms more often in children while in academic classes, due to lack of necessary stimuli.

Ok, so now we’ve gotten that out of the way. How does one help a child with ADHD be successful in life and school? Well, let’s look at their weaknesses: inattentive, impulsive, disorganized, hyperactive, poor social skills, struggle academically due to inability to focus. And their strengths: quite bright often at a gifted level, fun, want to please/do the right thing,  inventive, can have amazing focus, with the right activity that provides necessary stimulation, exceptionally creative, they are fantastic multitaskers, able to carry on multiple activities at the same time.

Given these numerous strengths, how can we best capitalize on them AND help the children with ADHD learn skills to help them manage their weaknesses?

Interventions, for home and school:
1.  Rules, posted, positively stated, and simple. “Stay in seat” verus “ No wandering around the room”
2.  Clear, short verbal instructions. “Sit down please.” Versus, “Stop walking around the room and park yourself in your seat”
3.  Frequent reminders of expectations. Every day review the class rules, some children may need reviewing of rules twice daily or when entering a new environment (transition)
4.  Positives, positives, positives, and LOTS of them. Point out what the student is doing right, and they will work to do those things
5.  Break assignments, especially long or difficult ones, into smaller pieces. They still have to do the whole thing, but they work only five at a time and then earn a break
6.  Give frequent breaks WITH physical activity. Even in High School teachers can have children stand up and stretch or do 5 jumping jacks-it’ll help you and ALL your students concentrate better
7.  Give written and verbal directions. And keep them to one to two steps. Children with ADHD can get lost in a lot of words
8.  Differentiate instruction. Worksheets are not the end all for children. They learn much better (especially those with ADHD or other learning difficulties) when the material is presented in a way that allows for different learning styles
9.  Treat behavioral deficits, the same way you treat academic ones. Teach the child the behavior you want to see.

     10.   Provide frequent and immediate reinforcers and consequences.  For some children with ADHD waiting until the end of the day to get their prize is too hard. They won’t be able to associate the desired behavior with the reward.

     11.   Consider scheduling tough academic tasks for the morning, by the afternoon , students with ADHD are often worn out after trying to pay attention, sit still, keep their hands and feet to themselves , all morning.

     12.   Sit children with ADHD away from anything fun (ie.., rats, aquariums, or other things that move).

     13.   Children with ADHD will likely suffer more in the middle and high school years due to changing classes, more transitions, more lecture type teaching, less supervision, and higher expectations. Understand that your students with ADHD will need more prompting, reminding, and redirection than your other students.

Most importantly remember that children with ADHD, have very little to no control over their behaviors, and they want to do well.  And if they don’t do well, they tend to say they are “bad” or attribute their inability to control themselves to something inherently wrong with them. That is so not true, they simply are not able to do well without adult intervention.  That’s why it  is our job as adults to teach them the behaviors we want to see, praise the mess out of the kids when we see those desired behaviors, remind them of our expectations, verbally and visually, and gently punish them when they exhibit behaviors that must be punished (verbal and physical aggression). Children with ADHD, as all children with “disabilities,” are not broken, they simply function in different ways than other children.  We need to recognize and embrace those differences, not punish them.


  Cites:

American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp_adhd.aspx

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/handouts/special%20needs%20template.pdf

Other Cool Resources:

http://myadhdaftablog.blogspot.com/ (Top 5 fictional characters with ADHD)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002518/ (General Good information)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adhd/DS00275 (General Good information)

http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/a-doctors-personal-take-on-adhd/the-life-of-an-adhd-childs-mother/ (Blog by a medical doctor who happens to be a mother of a child with ADHD)

Dr. Sarah Graves, LSSP