How teachers can help students reduce test anxiety

Michael Gaskell, principal of Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, New Jersey, shared with eSchool News four adaptable school strategies that can be used to help prepare students for high-stakes testing situations and reduce the anxiety associated with exam days or other stressful school situations.If the testing site is somewhere other than a student's classroom, it can help for them to visit the location beforehand to familiarize themselves with the surroundings. If there is time, a free writing activity or class discussion can help students air out their feelings and concerns in the hope that they understand such anxieties are common and understandable.A brief physical activity exercise — perhaps a short video prepared by the physical education department, for example — can be used before a test and during breaks to improve students' circulation and reduce test anxiety. Schools can also incorporate 3-minute meditation breaks, led by a teacher/proctor or by a prepared video, to encourage mindfulness.