Hi Moms from "Rocks in My Dryer!" I have just discovered your "Works for Me" links and I hope you'll enjoy a few tips from a school psychologist on how to make studying for a test with your child more fun. These two links are geared for teachers, but are easily adapted to homework sessions at home.
SWATTERS!
DINGERS!
For everyone else, go on and enjoy them a second time. New Study Skill Tip on the way for Friday's post. Stay tuned!
Showing posts with label Study Skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Study Skills. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 December 2008
Friday, 5 December 2008
Study Skill O’ The Week: Dingers!
Back in the 20th century, when I was in high school, I had this social studies teacher who would give away all the test answers the day before the test in a game called “Dingers.” We would line up in two groups and when it was your turn, you sat face to face with a classmate, game-show style, and in between you was one of those Dinger things that you ring for service. He would read out the question and whoever got their hand practically punctured by the other person’s hand slapping on top of yours slapping on top of the Dinger got to answer the question and earn points for the team. There was no delicate plucking of the bell, as pictured. Years later, I realized he wasn’t giving away the answers, he was teaching us how to study for the test. Curses! Tricked into learning again! So with full props to my 10th grade social studies teacher, here is the game, modified for the 21st Century.
1) Obtain a Staples “That Was Easy!” button. In today’s litigious world, one wants to avoid the “How did my son puncture his hand again?” conversation. The button is nice and soft, and has the added bonus of saying, “That Was Easy!” every time you push it.*
2) Line people up, Family Feud style, with half the class in a line and half the class in another. The two people in the front of the line sit down at a table, place their thumbs under the table and 4 fingers on the table to have an equal start.
3) Teacher reads out a question and whoever hits the “That Was Easy!” button gets to guess. If the person gets it right, they get 2 points: one point for getting it right, and one point for being correct that it was indeed “Easy.” If the person gets it wrong, the other team automatically gets 1 point because the other team misjudged the difficulty of the question.**
4) At this point, the other team can accept the 1 point and walk away, or choose to “steal” for an additional point by hitting the “Easy” button and getting it correct. If they get it wrong, they walk away with zero points.
5) Please expect a classroom full of students screaming, “It’s easy! It’s easy! Do it! Dude!” when there is a stealing opportunity. So if you are opposed to that, set up a ground rule in the beginning that teams lose points if someone yells out. I think the yelling out is kind of fun for them, but everyone has their own tolerance for noise.
6) Also, if you have a particularly aggressive student who you feel cannot handle the controlled slapping of button, put him/her in charge of keeping points on the whiteboard or reading the questions with you.
7) If your test questions are better in written form (say, like doing a math problem) then you can have two baby whiteboards and dry erase markers at the Dingers station and they can work out the problem on their individual boards, then hit the Easy button.
8) Try it out, and let me know if “That was Easy!”
*So annoying after a while. Kids of all ages love it though. Also, I do not endorse any particular office supply store. But if Staples wants to throw me a kick-back, feel free!
** This is in place so that our more impulsive friends (read: ADHD, those with Executive Functioning deficits) can evaluate the difficulty of task first, which is an important study skill. We’ve all seen the kid who rushes through something, thinking it’s easy, and does it all wrong. This is a good inhibition (“stop and think”) practice for test taking.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Study Skill O’ the Week: Swatters!
“If it’s not fun, they won’t learn!” – 5th grade teacher, Inner City Elementary
I overheard this teacher say this the other day, and I must say, her classroom does seem to be pretty fun. Whenever I go in there, the kids are smiling and on-task. Almost every day in her class is a total Learning Party. Wheeeeee!* I don’t know how she does it, working in the inner city, and every day she is so excited about teaching. I wonder if this teacher wakes up on Monday, jolts out of bed, claps her hands together, and exclaims, “TGIM!”
Anyway, with full credit to this teacher, I want to share a technique she uses to help her students memorize facts. I incorporate this in my study skill coaching repertoire, because it really is more fun than traditional “Drill and Kill” techniques with flashcards. It’s called “Swatters” and I thought I’d pass it on as a way to make memorization fun. Do let me know how it goes.
1) Obtain two fly swatters.
2) Explain to the class that they are not to be used for swatting flies. Very important, as I forgot to do this once and had to go buy a new swatter because I was too grossed out to use it again. Bleeh. Fly Guts.
3) Have the students put the answers to certain memorization questions on flash cards. I have used vocabulary words, possible test questions, and math facts. Place the answers on the blackboard in a random array.
4) Have the class line up in two parallel lines, facing the board, with about 6-10 feet in between the board and the first two kids. I’d put a masking tape line there as a start line so you avoid the “He’s cheating!” conversation.
5) Explain the rules. If anyone swats a fly or a classmate, they are disqualified. If anyone pushes anyone, they are disqualified. Whoever hits the flashcard first wins—in the event that both kids hit the correct card, this is determined by whose swatter is on the bottom.
6) Teacher calls out the question, such as “When was the constitution signed?” or “What’s 2 X 5?” and the first two in the rows run up to the board and swat the correct answer. The team with the swatter on the correct card gets a point, and the two return to the back of the line.
7) Proceed until you, or the kids, are bored, or you run out of questions. I have found that even the most ADHD kids ever want to do this game for like 45 minutes, only because they finally get to use that energy.
*Baffling, I know. I want what she has for breakfast.
I overheard this teacher say this the other day, and I must say, her classroom does seem to be pretty fun. Whenever I go in there, the kids are smiling and on-task. Almost every day in her class is a total Learning Party. Wheeeeee!* I don’t know how she does it, working in the inner city, and every day she is so excited about teaching. I wonder if this teacher wakes up on Monday, jolts out of bed, claps her hands together, and exclaims, “TGIM!”
Anyway, with full credit to this teacher, I want to share a technique she uses to help her students memorize facts. I incorporate this in my study skill coaching repertoire, because it really is more fun than traditional “Drill and Kill” techniques with flashcards. It’s called “Swatters” and I thought I’d pass it on as a way to make memorization fun. Do let me know how it goes.
1) Obtain two fly swatters.
2) Explain to the class that they are not to be used for swatting flies. Very important, as I forgot to do this once and had to go buy a new swatter because I was too grossed out to use it again. Bleeh. Fly Guts.
3) Have the students put the answers to certain memorization questions on flash cards. I have used vocabulary words, possible test questions, and math facts. Place the answers on the blackboard in a random array.
4) Have the class line up in two parallel lines, facing the board, with about 6-10 feet in between the board and the first two kids. I’d put a masking tape line there as a start line so you avoid the “He’s cheating!” conversation.
5) Explain the rules. If anyone swats a fly or a classmate, they are disqualified. If anyone pushes anyone, they are disqualified. Whoever hits the flashcard first wins—in the event that both kids hit the correct card, this is determined by whose swatter is on the bottom.
6) Teacher calls out the question, such as “When was the constitution signed?” or “What’s 2 X 5?” and the first two in the rows run up to the board and swat the correct answer. The team with the swatter on the correct card gets a point, and the two return to the back of the line.
7) Proceed until you, or the kids, are bored, or you run out of questions. I have found that even the most ADHD kids ever want to do this game for like 45 minutes, only because they finally get to use that energy.
*Baffling, I know. I want what she has for breakfast.
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Procrastination
Dr. Bell: My name is Dr. Bell. And I’m a recovering procrastinator.
Imaginary Crowd: Hi Dr. Bell!
I used to procrastinate. Big time. It started in high school, when I’d somehow wait until midnight to start an essay that was due the next day. Sometimes, it was worse than that. At midnight I’d start the Cliff’s Notes of a book that I had to write a paper on for the next day.* I convinced myself I work best under pressure and that I was most alert at night.
In college, I found one million things to do before studying. Usually, it involved socializing. I also convinced myself that I was in a “study group” during said socialization.
In grad school, especially during the dissertation years, my procrastination took the form of cleaning. During the disseration writing, my house was always immaculate. I think I even alphabetized my spices, which is harder than it sounds. Do you put black pepper under B or P? I convinced myself that I couldn’t work in a messy environment. My roommates loved me for this.
I don’t know when the change began, but I stopped procrastinating. It probably coincided with getting a job in the school district. But why? A big part of my job is writing, just like in school. It makes sense that if I’m a procrastinator, I would still put off writing reports until the last minute. But I have become disciplined. I know I write best in the morning and set aside 2 hours every morning to write, no matter what. And it works. I’ve never worked at midnight the night before a meeting. How did I recover?
I was reading up on some research on procrastination and was surprised to consistently see it paired with perfectionism, protecting one’s academic self-worth, and fear of failure. Apparently, it’s more than just a bad habit.
The idea is this: Procrastination is a win-win situation for your ego. If you put off studying until the last minute and you do poorly on a test, then you can blame the poor grade on lack of studying. If you happen to do well on the test, then you can pat yourself on the back for being smart enough to do well without studying. I suppose a third option is you attribute it to luck because it was an easy test, but that doesn't really hurt your ego either. I remember doing this in high school. I read the Cliff’s Notes for The Great Gatsby the night before and got a B on the essay the next day.** I congratulated myself on my ability to b.s. through any writing assignment.
Procrastination can also be the result of being fearful of being unable to complete a task perfectly, or not completing tasks because there is always room for improvement. I had a client once who refused to write anything because he was afraid it wouldn't be any good. I see this with gifted kids sometimes. A gifted child may refuse to do activities rather than risk failing to achieve a superior level of performance.
So what does the research say to do about Procrastination?
*** Four Days Elapse ***
Oh Delicious Irony! I started this post on Tuesday and then realized I needed to clean my house top to bottom for a house guest this weekend and put off finishing my post on procrastination. House looks great. Now I can work.
So what does the research say to do about Procrastination?
1) Evaluate your procrastinating style. Do you procrastinate on certain types of tasks? Do you procrastinate at certain times of day? When are you most productive? Are you afraid of doing something less than perfect? Is the task too overwhelming so it is avoided? Do you think you work better under pressure? Are you putting things off because you don’t want to do the task or because you have too much other stuff on your plate? Are you truly procrastinating or are you prioritizing? Did I need to clean my house, or was I putting off the work of finding all the research on procrastinating and trying to synthesize it into witty blog entry? A good clue you are procrastinating is if you are doing X and should be doing Y, and can’t stop thinking about how you should be doing X.
2) Challenge your myths. For example, maybe you don’t need a spotless apartment to begin a writing task. You really need a writing tool and a place to sit and that’s about it. Maybe you do work well under pressure. So then set a time limit for yourself (I will write this paragraph in ½ hour, or I will finish all these math problems/paying bills/whatever before my favorite show on TV).
3) Get an anti-procrastination “coach” such as a friend, roommate, or family member who is supportive. Tell them about your goals and timeline and ask them to determine whether your plan is realistic. Then once a twice a week, email with this person on your progress. If you slip up and don’t do your “homework” than talk about it and see what went wrong (see #1). Be careful in selecting “Study Buddies.” I know if I want to get stuff done, there are those that facilitate that and those who do not.
4) Try the TIC-TOC technique. TIC stands for Task Interfering Cognitions. These are things that get in the way of you or a student starting a task. An example of this may be, “I have all those letters to write tonight” or “I can put off writing those letters until later when I’m in the mood.” The problem with TICs is the thinking trap it creates—that you must do ALL or NONE of the work, or that you must be in the mood to work (emotional reasoning). This leads to avoidance behaviors because the task can seem too big to start and you may never be in the mood to start.
Replace your TIC with a TOC, A TOC is a Task Oriented Cognition. An example to counteract the previous statements could be “I don’t have to do ALL those letters tonight, but I’d probably feel better if I did at least 1,” or “I don’t have to be in the mood to get started. Once I get started I’ll probably feel more like doing it.”
5) If you are procrastinating a writing assignment, try these tips for Writer’s Block.
6) Break down the assignment or task into smaller components. Make a list of the sub-tasks needed and reward yourself when you complete each part. When I was in school, I sometimes tricked myself into thinking I had “all semester” to finish a research project. Writing down all the things that go into said research project can be an eye opener. Try setting mini-deadlines on a calendar in a backward planning technique (e.g. this week I will explore research topics, next week I will look at good examples of research projects, the next I will meet with my advisor and run my topic by her, etc.). Then when it comes to the end of the semester you aren’t scouring the Internet and throwing something together. And as you do each step, cross it off your list, because then you can see you have started the project and made some strides.
7) Nike approach. Just do it. Tell yourself you will work on your project for 15 minutes. Chances are, once you get started, you may just get in a groove and work longer.
*I highly recommend the Cliff’s Notes for Don Quixote. They are funny. I’m told the book is too.
**I did spell Gatsby wrong throughout the entire essay. An unfortunate side effect of my procrastination is that I still have to look up if it’s Gatsby or Gatspy to this day. Should have read the book.
Imaginary Crowd: Hi Dr. Bell!
I used to procrastinate. Big time. It started in high school, when I’d somehow wait until midnight to start an essay that was due the next day. Sometimes, it was worse than that. At midnight I’d start the Cliff’s Notes of a book that I had to write a paper on for the next day.* I convinced myself I work best under pressure and that I was most alert at night.
In college, I found one million things to do before studying. Usually, it involved socializing. I also convinced myself that I was in a “study group” during said socialization.
In grad school, especially during the dissertation years, my procrastination took the form of cleaning. During the disseration writing, my house was always immaculate. I think I even alphabetized my spices, which is harder than it sounds. Do you put black pepper under B or P? I convinced myself that I couldn’t work in a messy environment. My roommates loved me for this.
I don’t know when the change began, but I stopped procrastinating. It probably coincided with getting a job in the school district. But why? A big part of my job is writing, just like in school. It makes sense that if I’m a procrastinator, I would still put off writing reports until the last minute. But I have become disciplined. I know I write best in the morning and set aside 2 hours every morning to write, no matter what. And it works. I’ve never worked at midnight the night before a meeting. How did I recover?
I was reading up on some research on procrastination and was surprised to consistently see it paired with perfectionism, protecting one’s academic self-worth, and fear of failure. Apparently, it’s more than just a bad habit.
The idea is this: Procrastination is a win-win situation for your ego. If you put off studying until the last minute and you do poorly on a test, then you can blame the poor grade on lack of studying. If you happen to do well on the test, then you can pat yourself on the back for being smart enough to do well without studying. I suppose a third option is you attribute it to luck because it was an easy test, but that doesn't really hurt your ego either. I remember doing this in high school. I read the Cliff’s Notes for The Great Gatsby the night before and got a B on the essay the next day.** I congratulated myself on my ability to b.s. through any writing assignment.
Procrastination can also be the result of being fearful of being unable to complete a task perfectly, or not completing tasks because there is always room for improvement. I had a client once who refused to write anything because he was afraid it wouldn't be any good. I see this with gifted kids sometimes. A gifted child may refuse to do activities rather than risk failing to achieve a superior level of performance.
So what does the research say to do about Procrastination?
*** Four Days Elapse ***
Oh Delicious Irony! I started this post on Tuesday and then realized I needed to clean my house top to bottom for a house guest this weekend and put off finishing my post on procrastination. House looks great. Now I can work.
So what does the research say to do about Procrastination?
1) Evaluate your procrastinating style. Do you procrastinate on certain types of tasks? Do you procrastinate at certain times of day? When are you most productive? Are you afraid of doing something less than perfect? Is the task too overwhelming so it is avoided? Do you think you work better under pressure? Are you putting things off because you don’t want to do the task or because you have too much other stuff on your plate? Are you truly procrastinating or are you prioritizing? Did I need to clean my house, or was I putting off the work of finding all the research on procrastinating and trying to synthesize it into witty blog entry? A good clue you are procrastinating is if you are doing X and should be doing Y, and can’t stop thinking about how you should be doing X.
2) Challenge your myths. For example, maybe you don’t need a spotless apartment to begin a writing task. You really need a writing tool and a place to sit and that’s about it. Maybe you do work well under pressure. So then set a time limit for yourself (I will write this paragraph in ½ hour, or I will finish all these math problems/paying bills/whatever before my favorite show on TV).
3) Get an anti-procrastination “coach” such as a friend, roommate, or family member who is supportive. Tell them about your goals and timeline and ask them to determine whether your plan is realistic. Then once a twice a week, email with this person on your progress. If you slip up and don’t do your “homework” than talk about it and see what went wrong (see #1). Be careful in selecting “Study Buddies.” I know if I want to get stuff done, there are those that facilitate that and those who do not.
4) Try the TIC-TOC technique. TIC stands for Task Interfering Cognitions. These are things that get in the way of you or a student starting a task. An example of this may be, “I have all those letters to write tonight” or “I can put off writing those letters until later when I’m in the mood.” The problem with TICs is the thinking trap it creates—that you must do ALL or NONE of the work, or that you must be in the mood to work (emotional reasoning). This leads to avoidance behaviors because the task can seem too big to start and you may never be in the mood to start.
Replace your TIC with a TOC, A TOC is a Task Oriented Cognition. An example to counteract the previous statements could be “I don’t have to do ALL those letters tonight, but I’d probably feel better if I did at least 1,” or “I don’t have to be in the mood to get started. Once I get started I’ll probably feel more like doing it.”
5) If you are procrastinating a writing assignment, try these tips for Writer’s Block.
6) Break down the assignment or task into smaller components. Make a list of the sub-tasks needed and reward yourself when you complete each part. When I was in school, I sometimes tricked myself into thinking I had “all semester” to finish a research project. Writing down all the things that go into said research project can be an eye opener. Try setting mini-deadlines on a calendar in a backward planning technique (e.g. this week I will explore research topics, next week I will look at good examples of research projects, the next I will meet with my advisor and run my topic by her, etc.). Then when it comes to the end of the semester you aren’t scouring the Internet and throwing something together. And as you do each step, cross it off your list, because then you can see you have started the project and made some strides.
7) Nike approach. Just do it. Tell yourself you will work on your project for 15 minutes. Chances are, once you get started, you may just get in a groove and work longer.
*I highly recommend the Cliff’s Notes for Don Quixote. They are funny. I’m told the book is too.
**I did spell Gatsby wrong throughout the entire essay. An unfortunate side effect of my procrastination is that I still have to look up if it’s Gatsby or Gatspy to this day. Should have read the book.
Friday, 5 October 2007
Study Skills
I recently went to a conference that purported to inform us about “Good Instruction for Teaching Study Skills.” Ironically, it was the most boring conference I have ever attended. The keynote speaker lectured in a monotone for an hour and a half straight, with smudgy, unreadable overheads, and there were no opportunities for participation, reflection, or personalizing the material. I was reminded of that scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when the teacher is droning on about Voodoo Economics. Anyone? Something d-o-o economics? Anyone? Anyone? Class?
So how do you teach study skills in an interesting way?
The answer depends on the age group and the context in which you are teaching the skill. Luckily for me, I attended a great break-out session with a dynamic presenter with practical ideas.* The following suggestions were utilized in a whole group approach in a 5th grade classroom, but can likely be adapted to younger or older students and possibly taught individually as well.
1) Know that students with effective study habits:
• Use a variety of techniques
• Can articulate their reasons for choosing a particular tactic
• Monitor success of learning
• Monitor success of tactic
• Self-monitor success and change methods according to effectiveness
• Do not use every method in repertoire
• Change strategies according to subject, teacher expectations, task demands, and their own learning style.
2) Laying the Groundwork for Teaching Study Skills
• Help student assess their study goals through visualization. Ask student to visualize the very best student in the world and asked what do they think that student does to learn. Then ask what is holding the student back from being the best student in the world (e.g. What’s one behavior that’s keeping you from being the best student in the world, What’s one thing you don’t do enough of in school?).
• Normalize negative emotions (e.g. You may feel like you don’t want to do it, but you have to do it anyway. Many kids feel that way,” tell the student to say the rhyme “I don’t feel like doing it today, but I’m going to do it anyway”)
3) The Study Pie Technique
• Make a “Study Pie” of all the strategies the student knows and ones you or the teacher will teach. This will assist students in
understanding that there are many strategies to “study” and encourages him/her to practice ones they have not tried yet. At first, they may only have one or two strategies to choose from. Increase their repertoire through direct instruction or class-wide lessons.
• Examples of “slices” in Study Pie: Doing homework, discuss topic with someone, make a list, chunking, pre-reading captions, headlines, look at pictures in the text first, write practice test questions, make flashcards, re-read the material, link to something personal, make a concept map, practice over time (not all in one night) use visual imagery, review notes, summarize in own words.
• Evaluate with student which strategies they used for a particular assignment or test and use information constructively so the student can keep or modify the strategies.
4) Teach a “Study Skill Of The Week”
• Here’s a good example of an activity to teach one of the study pie slices of “re-reading.” Many students have the idea that if you read it once, you’re done “studying.” To illustrate the value in re-reading, have the students in the class read a short passage, maybe one or two pages long. Then, instruct them to read it again and stand up when they come across something they didn’t remember reading the first time. When the whole class is standing up, have a class discussion about how the study technique of re-reading.
• Another fun way to practice memorizing facts or key terms is the Fly Swatter Game. Get two fly swatters and put up the answers to your questions on the board. Then have the students line up in two lines. Explain that the rules are that if there is arguing about who swatted the answer first, the game ends. (Usually it is clear who hit it first, but it’s good to set the stage in this way). Read out the first question and have the first two students in line run to swat the correct answer. Then they return to the end of the line and the next two students go. This game is fun because it gets the students up and moving and is a fun way to drill information.
***
*The one useful presenter was a woman named Louise Chickie-Wolfe. Great name. Great presenter. The study techniques can be found in her book with Virginia Smith called “Fostering Independent Learning.” I wish I could take credit for the Study Pie, it’s a great idea to expand student’s studying repertoire.
So how do you teach study skills in an interesting way?
The answer depends on the age group and the context in which you are teaching the skill. Luckily for me, I attended a great break-out session with a dynamic presenter with practical ideas.* The following suggestions were utilized in a whole group approach in a 5th grade classroom, but can likely be adapted to younger or older students and possibly taught individually as well.
1) Know that students with effective study habits:
• Use a variety of techniques
• Can articulate their reasons for choosing a particular tactic
• Monitor success of learning
• Monitor success of tactic
• Self-monitor success and change methods according to effectiveness
• Do not use every method in repertoire
• Change strategies according to subject, teacher expectations, task demands, and their own learning style.
2) Laying the Groundwork for Teaching Study Skills
• Help student assess their study goals through visualization. Ask student to visualize the very best student in the world and asked what do they think that student does to learn. Then ask what is holding the student back from being the best student in the world (e.g. What’s one behavior that’s keeping you from being the best student in the world, What’s one thing you don’t do enough of in school?).
• Normalize negative emotions (e.g. You may feel like you don’t want to do it, but you have to do it anyway. Many kids feel that way,” tell the student to say the rhyme “I don’t feel like doing it today, but I’m going to do it anyway”)
3) The Study Pie Technique
• Make a “Study Pie” of all the strategies the student knows and ones you or the teacher will teach. This will assist students in
understanding that there are many strategies to “study” and encourages him/her to practice ones they have not tried yet. At first, they may only have one or two strategies to choose from. Increase their repertoire through direct instruction or class-wide lessons.
• Examples of “slices” in Study Pie: Doing homework, discuss topic with someone, make a list, chunking, pre-reading captions, headlines, look at pictures in the text first, write practice test questions, make flashcards, re-read the material, link to something personal, make a concept map, practice over time (not all in one night) use visual imagery, review notes, summarize in own words.
• Evaluate with student which strategies they used for a particular assignment or test and use information constructively so the student can keep or modify the strategies.
4) Teach a “Study Skill Of The Week”
• Here’s a good example of an activity to teach one of the study pie slices of “re-reading.” Many students have the idea that if you read it once, you’re done “studying.” To illustrate the value in re-reading, have the students in the class read a short passage, maybe one or two pages long. Then, instruct them to read it again and stand up when they come across something they didn’t remember reading the first time. When the whole class is standing up, have a class discussion about how the study technique of re-reading.
• Another fun way to practice memorizing facts or key terms is the Fly Swatter Game. Get two fly swatters and put up the answers to your questions on the board. Then have the students line up in two lines. Explain that the rules are that if there is arguing about who swatted the answer first, the game ends. (Usually it is clear who hit it first, but it’s good to set the stage in this way). Read out the first question and have the first two students in line run to swat the correct answer. Then they return to the end of the line and the next two students go. This game is fun because it gets the students up and moving and is a fun way to drill information.
***
*The one useful presenter was a woman named Louise Chickie-Wolfe. Great name. Great presenter. The study techniques can be found in her book with Virginia Smith called “Fostering Independent Learning.” I wish I could take credit for the Study Pie, it’s a great idea to expand student’s studying repertoire.
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Text Anxiety
I had a dream the other night that I was back in high school. It's the day of a big math test. And in my dream, I am not prepared. In fact, I didn't even know there was a test! Worse yet, I can't find the classroom because I've forgotten to go to the math class all year long. Somewhere in my subconscious, lies residual high school math performance anxiety.
What is Performance Anxiety?
Even though high school is long gone, I'm sure many of us can recall that pit-of-the-stomach feeling that we are unprepared for a big test. Test Anxiety, which is sometimes referred to in the literature as "Performance Anxiety," usually arises when we are called upon to demonstrate what we know and be evaluated by others. For students, this usually takes the form of pencil-paper tests, oral presentations, projects, and sometimes even classroom participation. Performance anxiety in the workplace may arise arise before a big presentation at work, a report, or certification tests. Symptoms can include rapid heart rate, sweating palms, stomach pains, and intrusive thoughts (e.g. I'm going to bomb this! I didn't study enough. My teacher will think I'm dumb, I'm going to forget my speech).
So, how do you help students deal with it?
BEFORE THE TEST
1. Let the student know that having some anxiety before a test is normal, and in some cases can be beneficial.
Low levels of anxiety can motivate you to study, to work harder, and to seek out help. It is when the anxiety reaches a critical mass that it becomes debilitating. Think for example of drinking coffee. A little bit can perk you up and enhance focus, but a lot can make you jittery, scattered, and full of intrusive thoughts.
2. Help the student assess his/her knowledge or skills. Is the student anxious because s/he hasn't studied well? In this case, the intervention is to stop reading the blog and get to work. Start with 10-minute intervals and allow a break. Make a study schedule and stick to it. Be sure to include a small reward here and there, even if it is just verbal. Once beginning the study session, you may find the student reporting that s/he isn't sure how to study or what to study. This can lead to avoiding studying altogether. In this case, the intervention is to seek more information about the test from notes, a classmate, or the teacher. When this is not possible, the next best thing is to study anyway. Some information is better than none at all.
3. Avoid cramming. I know, we've all done it, but at the last minute, it can fuel your anxiety as you become aware of how much information you don't know yet. The research is clear: distributed practice (a little at a time) is better than massed practice (all at once).
4. Avoid excessive reassurance that the test will be “fine” or is “not a big deal” . For a child who worries, it is a big deal and they don’t feel fine. Acknowledge and normalize the worry, discourage avoidance, and encourage the student to access his/her coping skills. For example, ask the student how they have handled tests in the past and what worked well.
5. Use metaphors to explain the process of habituation . We have all heard the "face your fear!" advice. There is some truth to this, when it comes to test taking. Habituation is the process by which we "get used to" anxiety. Each time we are exposed to the anxiety provoking situation and we live through it, the next time is a little bit easier. With children and adolescents, I sometimes use a mountain climbing metaphor. Maybe it's because I grew up at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. If you are from California, you might want to use a surfing metaphor, like “ride it out”! Use a metaphor that the student can relate too.
Here’s my mountain metaphor: At first, when you are at the base of the mountain, you look up and it is very tall and scary. You wonder if you can get up the mountain and how you are going to do it. You may say to yourself "I'm not in good enough shape to climb that!" or "what if I fall down?" But then you climb. It can be difficult, but you get through it. And the next time you climb, you're in a little better shape, and you know a little bit more what to expect, and have a little more confidence. Each time, it gets easier. And you may have a new mountain to climb that looks a little different, but you have some experience already you can use. It's the same with test-taking. It gets less scary each time because you know what to do.
DURING THE TEST
1. Encourage calming self-talk. I tell my students “Your brain believes what you tell it.” If the student is telling his or herself that they can’t remember anything, the intrusive thought can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Worry shuts down problem-solving in several ways. Worrying strengthens the perception that one is incompetent (e.g. “I am going to draw a blank and forget everything I studied”) and can fuel catastrophic thinking (“If I don’t pass this test, I’m going to fail all of 8th grade and never get into a good high school”). Encourage the student to use some of the following self-talk statements:
-I’m nervous, but I can handle it.
-I’m having some trouble with some questions but I’m doing well on others
-It’s okay to make a mistake because that’s how you learn
-This feeling will pass if I allow it to
-I have taken tests before, I can do it now
2. Encourage the student to use deep breathing when the worry thoughts become intrusive. Try out the “candle exercise.” Picture a cake with 10 candles on it. Imagine yourself blowing out each candle one by one using your breathing. This quick exercise can stop the worry thoughts. When I first tried this one out in a therapy session with an anxious teen, I thought it was kind of hokey. But she loved it. Each student will have his or her own relaxation technique that works. Try a few different ones and see which ones help.
AFTER THE TEST
1. Receiving the test results back can also be an anxiety provoking experience. If the student gets a grade back that he or she is dissatisfied with, it is important to reframe the test as information about what they know and need to learn. Learning is a process, not an outcome. Let the student know that a mixture of success and failure allows for learning.
2. Encourage reflection about the test-taking process. What worked? What didn’t work? What can be learned about test-taking skills for the next test? Praise the student for any coping strategies s/he used in the process.
3. Understand that reducing performance anxiety is a process. Be patient with the student as s/he tries things in a new way. Progress in anxiety reduction is rarely linear—there will inevitably be some good test days and bad test days. Just think of a habit you have tried to change—stopping smoking, going to the gym more—and recall the ebb and flow of your own motivation to change. Praise small steps in the right direction. You would want people to recognize that you went to the gym 3 times this week, not that you didn’t go 4 times this week!
The interesting thing about my math dream is that I was quite good at math in high school, though it wasn't my favorite subject. Now I enjoy math, thanks to graduate school training in research methodology and statistics (math for a reason!). I use it every day in my work. I guess I need to let my subconscious know that I have already climbed that math anxiety mountain and am happily coasting down the other side.
***
Portions of the information in this article were obtained from research by Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester and Robert D. Freidberg., Ph.D., Wright State University.
What is Performance Anxiety?
Even though high school is long gone, I'm sure many of us can recall that pit-of-the-stomach feeling that we are unprepared for a big test. Test Anxiety, which is sometimes referred to in the literature as "Performance Anxiety," usually arises when we are called upon to demonstrate what we know and be evaluated by others. For students, this usually takes the form of pencil-paper tests, oral presentations, projects, and sometimes even classroom participation. Performance anxiety in the workplace may arise arise before a big presentation at work, a report, or certification tests. Symptoms can include rapid heart rate, sweating palms, stomach pains, and intrusive thoughts (e.g. I'm going to bomb this! I didn't study enough. My teacher will think I'm dumb, I'm going to forget my speech).
So, how do you help students deal with it?
BEFORE THE TEST
1. Let the student know that having some anxiety before a test is normal, and in some cases can be beneficial.
Low levels of anxiety can motivate you to study, to work harder, and to seek out help. It is when the anxiety reaches a critical mass that it becomes debilitating. Think for example of drinking coffee. A little bit can perk you up and enhance focus, but a lot can make you jittery, scattered, and full of intrusive thoughts.
2. Help the student assess his/her knowledge or skills. Is the student anxious because s/he hasn't studied well? In this case, the intervention is to stop reading the blog and get to work. Start with 10-minute intervals and allow a break. Make a study schedule and stick to it. Be sure to include a small reward here and there, even if it is just verbal. Once beginning the study session, you may find the student reporting that s/he isn't sure how to study or what to study. This can lead to avoiding studying altogether. In this case, the intervention is to seek more information about the test from notes, a classmate, or the teacher. When this is not possible, the next best thing is to study anyway. Some information is better than none at all.
3. Avoid cramming. I know, we've all done it, but at the last minute, it can fuel your anxiety as you become aware of how much information you don't know yet. The research is clear: distributed practice (a little at a time) is better than massed practice (all at once).
4. Avoid excessive reassurance that the test will be “fine” or is “not a big deal” . For a child who worries, it is a big deal and they don’t feel fine. Acknowledge and normalize the worry, discourage avoidance, and encourage the student to access his/her coping skills. For example, ask the student how they have handled tests in the past and what worked well.
5. Use metaphors to explain the process of habituation . We have all heard the "face your fear!" advice. There is some truth to this, when it comes to test taking. Habituation is the process by which we "get used to" anxiety. Each time we are exposed to the anxiety provoking situation and we live through it, the next time is a little bit easier. With children and adolescents, I sometimes use a mountain climbing metaphor. Maybe it's because I grew up at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. If you are from California, you might want to use a surfing metaphor, like “ride it out”! Use a metaphor that the student can relate too.
Here’s my mountain metaphor: At first, when you are at the base of the mountain, you look up and it is very tall and scary. You wonder if you can get up the mountain and how you are going to do it. You may say to yourself "I'm not in good enough shape to climb that!" or "what if I fall down?" But then you climb. It can be difficult, but you get through it. And the next time you climb, you're in a little better shape, and you know a little bit more what to expect, and have a little more confidence. Each time, it gets easier. And you may have a new mountain to climb that looks a little different, but you have some experience already you can use. It's the same with test-taking. It gets less scary each time because you know what to do.
DURING THE TEST
1. Encourage calming self-talk. I tell my students “Your brain believes what you tell it.” If the student is telling his or herself that they can’t remember anything, the intrusive thought can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Worry shuts down problem-solving in several ways. Worrying strengthens the perception that one is incompetent (e.g. “I am going to draw a blank and forget everything I studied”) and can fuel catastrophic thinking (“If I don’t pass this test, I’m going to fail all of 8th grade and never get into a good high school”). Encourage the student to use some of the following self-talk statements:
-I’m nervous, but I can handle it.
-I’m having some trouble with some questions but I’m doing well on others
-It’s okay to make a mistake because that’s how you learn
-This feeling will pass if I allow it to
-I have taken tests before, I can do it now
2. Encourage the student to use deep breathing when the worry thoughts become intrusive. Try out the “candle exercise.” Picture a cake with 10 candles on it. Imagine yourself blowing out each candle one by one using your breathing. This quick exercise can stop the worry thoughts. When I first tried this one out in a therapy session with an anxious teen, I thought it was kind of hokey. But she loved it. Each student will have his or her own relaxation technique that works. Try a few different ones and see which ones help.
AFTER THE TEST
1. Receiving the test results back can also be an anxiety provoking experience. If the student gets a grade back that he or she is dissatisfied with, it is important to reframe the test as information about what they know and need to learn. Learning is a process, not an outcome. Let the student know that a mixture of success and failure allows for learning.
2. Encourage reflection about the test-taking process. What worked? What didn’t work? What can be learned about test-taking skills for the next test? Praise the student for any coping strategies s/he used in the process.
3. Understand that reducing performance anxiety is a process. Be patient with the student as s/he tries things in a new way. Progress in anxiety reduction is rarely linear—there will inevitably be some good test days and bad test days. Just think of a habit you have tried to change—stopping smoking, going to the gym more—and recall the ebb and flow of your own motivation to change. Praise small steps in the right direction. You would want people to recognize that you went to the gym 3 times this week, not that you didn’t go 4 times this week!
The interesting thing about my math dream is that I was quite good at math in high school, though it wasn't my favorite subject. Now I enjoy math, thanks to graduate school training in research methodology and statistics (math for a reason!). I use it every day in my work. I guess I need to let my subconscious know that I have already climbed that math anxiety mountain and am happily coasting down the other side.
***
Portions of the information in this article were obtained from research by Aureen Pinto Wagner, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester and Robert D. Freidberg., Ph.D., Wright State University.
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