April is filled with poetry, Earth Day activities, and springtime fun, but for many, it's also TESTING SEASON. I'm here to help you change your students' mindset about this dreaded time of year!
One of the worst parts about testing is the worry and anxiety that comes with it. Give all of your students a different colored small piece of paper - like a post-it or printer paper cut into smaller squares. Tell the students to write down anything they are stressed about when it comes to taking the test. Let them know that NO ONE will be reading these. This is their chance to just "get it all out." You can even write down your own to show the students that teachers have worries, too!
They do not need to write their name on it, because the next step is to cut up that piece of paper into tiny pieces! Tell them as they cut, you want them to "cut up" the worries. Tell them now that their worries are destroyed, they have to do their best not to stress about those things anymore.
Go around with a giant Ziploc bag and collect all of their worries. You can write something encouraging on the bag, and then hang it on the board as a reminder during testing:
Each day before you start the test, shake the bag and remind them, "you cut up all your worries, so if you're stressed, let it go. Do the best that you can, it's all you can do!" Treat the test as a way for them to show everything they know. Remind them they are showing you how smart they are each day!
Once all of your testing is over, your students might be wondering what you are going to do with all that "confetti." Well, celebrate of course! Walk around and let each student grab a handful. Get in a clustered group, and throw that confetti!
Your students will love it! I suggest waiting until the very end of the day to do it. Ha!
Of course, then it will need to be cleaned up, but if your students are anything like mine were, they get just as excited to clean as they do to throw it!
For more fun ideas like this one, follow my Classroom Ideas board on Pinterest!
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