1) I tell the children that they could all score 0 and it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference to their futures. I know GCSE and A-Level exams aren’t like that but at this level I can tell them. The relief when they hear it is so thick you could spread it on toast.
2) Practise the environment, but add expectations incrementally. Firstly, they work together on old practice papers. Then they work alone at their desks. Next, we arrange the classroom in the layout of the exam. Finally, add in all the rest of the expectations so they’ve had a proper go - even doing a practice run in the hall.
These both help to make it less of an ordeal. However, I’ve only done two years of it and can’t speak for all students - it’s a small sample size I’ve worked with.
When I tell them the exams don’t matter, they question why we do them at all - so I tell them that it’s to make sure I’ve done my job. I find that, once I’ve got a good relationship with them, this is a decent motivator for them to have a good go, while making sure they know “failing” still doesn’t matter for them.
one gripe i may pick out of an otherwise solid case:
sitting next to a student during a test could affect their performance to some degree. there are psychological factors at play; having the person you’re convinced you have to perform well for watching over your shoulder would add an unnecessary stressor for some students. if choosing this method, it would be wise to add the qualifier of “a student who will not be adversely affected by your presence.”
I really like how you've focused on support AFTER the test. I think sometimes schools and teachers are often guilty of ignoring the SATs or any forms of assessment once the child has completed it!
I agree that these tests can be useful for skills to use later in exams and broader contexts. What do you do to help make them less stressful?
1) I tell the children that they could all score 0 and it wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference to their futures. I know GCSE and A-Level exams aren’t like that but at this level I can tell them. The relief when they hear it is so thick you could spread it on toast.
2) Practise the environment, but add expectations incrementally. Firstly, they work together on old practice papers. Then they work alone at their desks. Next, we arrange the classroom in the layout of the exam. Finally, add in all the rest of the expectations so they’ve had a proper go - even doing a practice run in the hall.
These both help to make it less of an ordeal. However, I’ve only done two years of it and can’t speak for all students - it’s a small sample size I’ve worked with.
When I tell them the exams don’t matter, they question why we do them at all - so I tell them that it’s to make sure I’ve done my job. I find that, once I’ve got a good relationship with them, this is a decent motivator for them to have a good go, while making sure they know “failing” still doesn’t matter for them.
Reframing tests as opportunities for feedback rather than just performance snapshots… nice.
The best way
one gripe i may pick out of an otherwise solid case:
sitting next to a student during a test could affect their performance to some degree. there are psychological factors at play; having the person you’re convinced you have to perform well for watching over your shoulder would add an unnecessary stressor for some students. if choosing this method, it would be wise to add the qualifier of “a student who will not be adversely affected by your presence.”
These are great tips for SATs!
I really like how you've focused on support AFTER the test. I think sometimes schools and teachers are often guilty of ignoring the SATs or any forms of assessment once the child has completed it!