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The end of the year means it’s almost time for testing! It can be a scary time of year, but there are fun ways to make it less overwhelming for both yourself and your students. I highlighted a few test prep teacher tips that will help you and your class survive as we head into testing season. Don’t worry, we WILL get through it! Stay positive and follow these test prep teacher tips.
Teaching test prep strategies is important so students can take their tests in an appropriate amount of time. Here are some great test prep teacher tips to introduce to students:
Worksheets are a bore! Use fun and engaging games and activities that get kids moving and out of their seats while they practice testing topics. Some fun ways to do this are by using task cards or Scoot games. Every kid loves a good review game, so take advantage of their enthusiasm.
You can also try things like jeopardy, word scrambles, board games, and even card games to review! If your kids have certain games they love to play in the classroom, use them! They won’t even know they are learning.
Students will most likely be taking paper tests where they have to fill in bubbles. Make sure they understand the correct way to fill in the bubbles, so they report correctly.
There are also tests on the computer these days, so get students comfortable with those if they have to use them. Ensuring they know how to navigate through both formats of test will increase their likelihood of a great score.
Depending on your schedule, keep the student routines the same! If you are prepping for math tests, do test prep during the math block. If this isn’t possible, forewarn students, so they aren’t thrown off when you have to adjust the schedule. Not everyone deals with change well, so keeping them on a similar schedule will ensure positive classroom management throughout the process.
During test prep times, take homework off the table. Students are processing a lot and mentally preparing for a big test. Giving them homework may cause unnecessary stress. Anywhere we can reduce stress as they head into testing season will better prepare them for the big day.
While repetition is important, don’t overdo the test prep. Test prep teacher tips can overwhelm students, so make sure you add fun activities to take their minds off the chaos too. Cramming in tons of test prep will backfire. Do test prep a few times a week, but maintain the regular schedule the rest of the week.
Encouraging your students is going to go the furthest while preparing them for big tests. Let each and every student know that you believe in them and that they CAN do it. Even if there are negative aspects of the test, don’t announce them. This will just overwhelm the students and make them grumble. Keep everything positive as you deliver your test prep teacher tips.
Once testing is done, CELEBRATE! Plan a little party or big activity that students can look forward to after their testing. This will make test prep more endurable as they learn new skills and work through their tests. Some ideas include:
Using these fun test prep teacher tips will ensure that both you and your students have fun heading into testing. The stress will be minimized, and students will be successful once tests are laid in front of them. Head into testing with confidence!
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