TESL 0100: Unit 8 Reflection - Test Anxiety
TESL 0100 Unit 8 Reflection: Test Anxiety
Imagine that you are a student about to take a test. The teacher hands
out the papers and you are instructed to complete this test within an hour. You look
down at the test paper and your mind immediately goes blank. Your palms are clammy,
and your heart is racing. You try to focus on the questions in front of you but
the fatigue from staying up all night studying clouds your memory. You try to
make sense out of the questions, but they don’t resemble anything you covered
in class. You focus on trying to solve the first question, but you struggle to
come up with an answer. Before you know it, the teacher announces that there
are only five minutes left until you must hand in the test and you’ve made very
little progress.
Does this sound familiar? Have you ever been in a situation where test
anxiety has gotten the better of you? I know I have! This is something that many
students have gone through, and it is nothing short of a crippling experience.
What’s worse, is it prevents teachers from properly assessing their students. A student's true performance cannot be evaluated if it's marred by their anxiety. Therefore,
I think it’s essential that both students and teachers are equipped to tackle
this problem. Below I have included several ways that I feel might help for
both students and teachers to reduce possible text anxiety:
What teachers can do:
-
Outline
exactly what topics will be covered on the upcoming test. Tell students what
types of questions they should expect and how to approach them. The questions
should be items that the students have practiced themselves during the
classroom lessons.
-
Give
students practice tests to help them build confidence and become comfortable
with the test format.
-
Assign
students study-partners for them to work with.
-
On
the actual test, include a humorous question for bonus points. This will help
the students relax a little and have fun.
Things students can
do:
-
Students
should allot time for breaks while studying in order to avoid overexerting
themselves.
-
Students
should avoid cramming the night before a test and get a good night’s rest.
-
When
taking a test, students should review all the questions before answering them
in order to get a “feel” for the test.
-
If
the students get stuck on a question, they should move on to the next one, that
way they don’t waste any time. They can always come back after and try
answering it again later.
These are
just a few ideas that can help to reduce test anxiety. If you know of any good
strategies, feel free to share in the comment section below!
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