1. Presented by: Timber Ridge Counselors Taming Test Anxiety

2. What is Test Anxiety? Describe Feelings/Thoughts: Other Types of Anxiety: Friendships Life Changes (divorce, move, new school year, etc.) Performances (sports, theatre, music, dance, etc.) Other ideas?

3. What We’ll Do Today: Try out test anxiety tips: Ways to remember things Ways to relax Learn more about the signs of test anxiety (and how to prevent it from happening) Prepare for the STAAR Have fun!!!

4. Facts- the pressure is felt everywhere From recent issue in Time Magazine, Feb. 11, 2013 17 is the min. number of exams a student will take from 3 rd grade to 12 th grade to comply with No Child Left Behind. 203 pages in a manual and a separate security supplement that Texas school-district administrators must read in preparation for administering standardized tests. $22 is annual amount per student Florida spends on testing, up from about $5 in 1997. 104 Chicago public schools closed, consolidated, phased out or had their staff replaced from 2001-2012, in part, because of poor student test scores.

5. Facts When students are anxious, their worries use up some of their working memory, leaving fewer cognitive resources to devote to the test. One proven method to reduce anxiety is to have students spend 10 minutes writing about their thoughts and feelings immediately before taking a test. Writing about something the student values and describe why it matters to them, showed significant increase in scores, especially with minority students and females.

6. Before the test Eat a good breakfast: blueberries are a brain fruit, protein is shown to be beneficial in cognitive thinking. Avoid too much sugar or caffeine, they tend to make you experience a “crash” Sleep! Children 5-12 years old should be getting 10- 11 hours of sleep. Exercise is good to stimulate the brain, walking, running, jumping, bi-lateral toe touching, and dancing before and after the test is a great idea.

7. Memory Ways to remember information: Look up, visualize your notes Look up and to the left—activates past knowledge Great for spelling words Bi-lateral motion Visual notes Speak with an accent or funny voice Great for remembering new information The power of lemon, peppermint, and cinnamon Peppermint the best because it also boosts energy

8. Other tips/tricks to help test Put something comforting and tactile in your pocket to finger while testing. Smile, a big smile Take a break and go to the restroom While in the restroom, sing “happy and you know it.” Laugh at yourself. While in the restroom, run in place, do bi-lateral toe touching, stretch out legs, and/or roll your neck. Visualize a happy place. Stress ball-can make one as well

9. How to Relax Stretch your calf muscle-tense and relax all muscles—relaxation technique Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth (optimal oxygen to the brain) Massage your forehead, just above the eyebrow Visualize something that makes you happy-smile Recite something positive-”I am always calm & confident under pressure.” “I got this!”

10. Confidence! You can do it! Just believe in yourself, even if people tell you that you are not good enough. Someone made millions of dollars selling “pet rocks” By the time you are 18, you will have heard “no,” “don’t,” etc. over 300,000 times “You are never a loser until you quit trying.” –Mike Ditka

11. Resources Time Magazines, Feb. 2013 Choke: What Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To by Sian Beilock, cognitive scientist at University of Chicago Brilliant: The New Science of Smart by Annie Murphy Paul Children with high Stress Levels by Donna Forrest, Ed.S., L.P.C. and Brandi Rogers, M. Ed.

12. Questions?