#resiliencechat Tidbit: The majority of Ss rpt being more stressed by tests & schoolwk than anything else in their lives. Abt 16-20% of Ss have high test anxiety, making this the most prevalent scholastic impairment in our schools today. (source:https://t.co/nT1BDwbHsA)
Tidbit: I never tested well. Had to retake the ACT. My rhetoric instructor asked me if I was sick the day I took that test the first time. No. #resiliencechat
A1: Standardized testing is bad, because you are taught to do something a certain way and the test expects you to be at or above the standards that are taught. #resiliencechat
#resiliencechat A1: Thank goodness for independent schools that can choose to totally not care and instead focus on student learning. (We got 99 problems, but standardized testing ain't one of 'em.)
A1: They are a high stress way to measure Ss performance in an artificial way that doesn’t truly allow them to show how smart, creative, or unique they are - or how awesome we are as teachers #resiliencechat
A1: Standardized Tests? Seriously, what is the point? It’s like forcing nurses to wear white; does it really impact the care you give or the health outcome? No, I didn’t think so. #resiliencechat
#resiliencechat So......kind of like chapter tests or semester or final exams from far more Ts than we care to admit? (Maybe even.......some of ourselves?)
A1: They are a high stress way to measure Ss performance in an artificial way that doesn’t truly allow them to show how smart, creative, or unique they are - or how awesome we are as teachers #resiliencechat
A1: Ss and their capabilities should not limited by the results of one single test. Ss learn differently in individualized ways. How can we accurately cover such a wide area? Should we? #resiliencechat
So true. I freaked out! And I always registered late because we couldn’t afford them, so had to drive to another high school and test somewhere I wasn’t familiar with. #resiliencechat
In reply to
@MissShuganah, @ItsAMrY, @saratruebridge
See, now, Mr. MIT never had to learn how to think. He did just it automatically. It's odd though how some people are just good at taking tests. #resiliencechat
A2: Opt-Out. Parents know their children best and there are times when you need to play the Parent Card! Another is when Marching Band is going to Philly Memorial Day weekend. What are they nuts?! #resiliencechat
A2: driven by people who over value the use of the tool and over emphasize data and heighten anxiety. Certainly acceptable for those crippled by the process #resiliencechat
A2 - I like the idea but wonder about the unintended consequences. We may not like standardized tests but they do offer some accountability that I think is important. #resiliencechat
Hi! Jon from Irvine. First time on #resiliencechat. A1: Depends on what you mean by standardized. PLC teams can create great standard assessments that are worth teaching to. State tests? Not so much!
Good point John! Common assessments can be really valuable and are also standardized! Difference is that they are connected to the Ss in a way state tests are not. #resiliencechat
A2: Opting out is a personal decision that I understand. It’s not something I have promoted though. However, I have never taught to a test at the exclusion of other important things in my life and that includes AP. #resiliencechat
#resiliencechat A3: Since I give daily, short assessments...and nothing called a "test"....Ss have no anxiety. I also offer reassessment. What's to get anxious about? Just show me what you know....get the feedback...learn from it...and try again later!
A3: literally had a grade 9 student become so stressed had to leave traditional instruction due to test anxiety which spiked over standardized tests. Now is self paced alternative program #resiliencechat
A3 When I took an IQ test that was a transition test between 8th grade and high school, I tested so poorly that my mom thought there must be some mistake. #resiliencechat
How lucky are your students to have a teacher like you who is so thoughtful and empathetic in how they go about assessing student progress? And..putting assessment in the context that doesn't stress but rather supports learning... Lovely!! #resiliencechat
A3 When she spoke to the high school counselor, she had to do some fast talking to get her to keep me in the Advanced level classes I had already signed up for. #resiliencechat
A3: Students are anxious about some tests and not others. It depends on how they perceive the stakes. Students don’t yet have the experience or coping mechanisms to put test results in the proper perspective. #resiliencechat
...and this is why it is so important for us to help them find ways to reduce the stress and put such tests in their proper perspective. #resiliencechat
A3 My grades showed that I deserved to be in Advanced and Honor level classes as opposed to Intermediate. If my mom hadn't also been a teacher, I probably would have been railroaded. #resiliencechat
A3 Once in college, I was taking a class in Statistics. I aced the quiz but got an "F" on the midterm. Why? I got upset right before the test. I reversed everything. #resiliencechat
A4: I’m actually doing my college finals next week @solanocommcolle So far, all I’ve been doing is studying as hard as I can. And I’m hoping I don’t blank out on the day of. But I just take a deep breath and remember one thing:Our failures do not define us. #resiliencechat
#resiliencechat Yes, BUT why is it okay to tell kids to get a good nights sleep and eat a good breakfast, (before the St test), and not to worry...And then for the other 176 days ignore the crazy schedules, late nights, and dinner in fast-food lane?
I also had the experience of students doing some creative "spelling" and messaging by how they would fill in their bubble scantrons. Not always appropriate for "prime-time" if you catch my drift... #resiliencechat
GREAT POINT! Hunger hinders learning and focus ALL. THE. TIME. Not just during tests. What message does it send when we only focus on good sleep and eating habits during testing season? #resiliencechat
In reply to
@dlpetrie69, @saratruebridge, @Mrjonresendez
#resiliencechat Technique I just heard about: attach a blank piece of paper except for this title: "Here is everything I know that I thought would be on this test but wasn't."
A4: Use your parent card and say “No”. Say no to ridiculous requests by coaches, by robotics instructors who require 4 days a week, 6-10 from your 12 year old. Too often hear “this is the way it is.” #resiliencechat
A4: Mix up the way Ss are assessed and make the assessments as authentic as possible. When tests are given, devalue them relative to projects that assess critical skills and thinking. Have Ss reflect on the results regularly so they see them as a learning process. #resiliencechat
#resiliencechat Tidbit: The majority of Ss rpt being more stressed by tests & schoolwk than anything else in their lives. Abt 16-20% of Ss have high test anxiety, making this the most prevalent scholastic impairment in our schools today. (source:https://t.co/nT1BDvU6B2)
A5: going off the board, our provincial government who tests every kid at grade 9 level on all four core subjects every year, excessive and does not have any linkage with sampling #resiliencechat
A5 Varies all over the lot. I know some of the kids that some to our seventh grade report major stress in the past over whether they would "let their school down." Obviously, if teachers' jobs depend on them, that's a factor. And competitive parents exist.
#ResilienceChat
#resiliencechat A5: Ss take their cue from parents and Ts. Ps because they believe it's a "golden ticket." Ts because it provides some kind of independent assessment of the quality of their work......even if everyone knows it's a terrible one. We seek affirmation.
BTW #resiliencechat--You can find some good info., research & resources re: test anxiety from American Test Anxieties Association (https://t.co/nT1BDwbHsA)
I think that is why I object to these tests most of all. The competitive nature of it. We need to emphasize cooperation instead. And how do you test for that? #resiliencechat
A5 Varies all over the lot. I know some of the kids that some to our seventh grade report major stress in the past over whether they would "let their school down." Obviously, if teachers' jobs depend on them, that's a factor. And competitive parents exist.
#ResilienceChat
Can we cut to the chase? Why do they exist? Only one truthful conclusion - significant financial gain by those with much more lobbying prowess than those currently sadly disappearing from the media front. #resiliencechat
Agreed. Great summary of why each group values the assessment. Especially Ts. If all my kids fail, what DOES that say about my teaching? #resiliencechat
Right. Sometimes, i think there are a fair amount of people who, one way or another, assume everything that matters must be tested. Um, no. Not even close.
#ResilienceChat
A6: Keep studying for my finals for college @solanocommcolle and my high school finals @FSUSD_ECHS And I have just so many things to do with so little time in the day. #resiliencechat
In reply to
@saratruebridge, @solanocommcolle, @FSUSD_ECHS
A5: Ts worry about the balance between teaching the test content and what they know is right. Many Ts labor under value added systems that tie their evaluations to scores. Ts have the least control over the process, yet are blamed when the results go awry. #resiliencechat
A6: remind instructors that the tests measure one day in a student’s life and to do everything they can to help kids keep things in perspective #resiliencechat
Depends on the investment. If all of my athlete's fail at the shot put, it's probably because I'm a pole vault coach. Now....if they fail at pole vault.......well, time for me to demonstrate a growth mindset! #resiliencechat
As always, I am so appreciate of all of you who take the time to be part of #resiliencechat. I also invite pol to respond to the questions even if they can't join us in "real" time.
Good point. However, as a #Physed teacher, do my Ss performance on the math and ELA state tests reflect my teaching? Should they? How can I support Ss for these tests refardless of my content area? #resiliencechat
