The first day of the new school year is exciting! There are new friends and teachers, new subjects. But the first day gives way to the second and third and then testing begins and projects and grades.
If your student is crippled by testing anxiety, what do you do? Testing anxiety is real, emotionally painful, and makes the student feel like a failure when they know they know they material. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much a student prepares for the test itself, the mere thought of “testing” their knowledge causes them to question everything they studied for the week before. It can even manifest physically in an over-anxious child.
To deal with testing anxiety – simply be supportive of the student and let them know that although it is understandable that they want to be perfect on the test, all one can do is prepare, take their time, and do their best. Try to take pressure off of them by reminding them to prepare as best they can and whatever comes, comes. Grades are only one part of the equation to school success, and getting worked up over having extraordinary scores will only cause anxiety, not good test scores.
For those with overexcitabilities, telling them to “relax” is akin to doing nothing for testing anxiety. But trying to instill in them a respect for themselves, whether they make an 85, a 90 or a 100 on the test, is important. Tests and grades are only one way of measuring intelligence, and giving them avenues to express (and subsequently “measure”) their cleverness other than testing can be helpful. Maybe the class allows projects or papers in place of tests.
Be aware of possible testing anxiety in students, and try to get out in front of it before it becomes all-encompassing. Set them aside and talk about removing the pressures they put on themselves to perform.
The Questing Child 