Facing Standardized testing with intention
It is a quiet Monday morning here in upstate New York. The sun is shining and the birds chirp outside my window. I am on my couch with my notebook and my coffee thinking about returning to work after spring break. I look forward to welcoming my students back to school and the fun events we have planned during this last stretch of the year but I admit that I do NOT look forward to administering the New York State ELA test this week. Taking the test is not an enjoyable experience for the majority of my students and even after 23 years of teaching, I still feel pressure that they do well. My students and I know who they are as readers and writers. I am confident in their abilities but I still struggle.
On the plane ride home from my family vacation, I read the first half of The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. To me, it is really about releasing what we can’t control, and focusing on what we can, namely our reactions and actions. For more on this book, check out Mel’s podcast episode linked here. As I read, I made notes in the margins mostly about my personal life. But as I sit here this morning, I am thinking about how I can apply the theory to test taking. Here goes:
Let them require these tests. I cannot stop NY State or this countrywide practice of standardized testing. Let me make the week as enjoyable and fun for my students as possible. We will play a game of Jeopardy to review key literary terms. We will practice interpretive and analytical skills using engaging read alouds and short texts. Students will meet in groups and discuss test passages. We will shift our mindsets and view test passages not as a chore but as literature worthy of personal response, interpretation and discussion.
Let them (the kids) put in the effort they feel they can for the test. Let me teach test review in a fun, engaging, and gentle way. I add the word “gentle” here because I admit to feeling frustrated when I notice that students do not put in their best effort when practicing for tests. In those moments, I plan to step away, take a breath, let them do what they will and let me offer words of encouragement and support.
So these are my thoughts this Monday morning. To all of my colleagues who have or about to administer standardized testing, I am with you and would love to hear about your experience. Feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Monday!
