It's not always about what "they" say...

I'm sure you've heard the saying "practice what you preach" or "put your money where your mouth is".  As a teacher, that's sometimes a difficult road to travel.

 

I have to be honest.  I HATE taking tests!  When I was young, I always struggled with text anxiety.  I was a straight-A student, but I still worried myself to sleep over tests.  The older I got, the more my distaste for test-taking became. 

 

But even worse?  I really struggled in college.  Not with grades, not with turning in assignments, and not with understanding material.   I just didn't enjoy it!  School was definitely a full-time job and definitely NOT the job of my dreams.

 

It's quite ironic that I'm now the one dishing out the tests. How can I hate tests, but give them on a weekly, and sometimes daily basis?

 

By now, I'm sure you are wondering, why on EARTH did I become a teacher?  That's a story for another post.  But I am someone who looks to learn from her experiences.  As the testing weeks for the WKCE (Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam) began, I realized that many of my students are just like me.  During the weeks of preparation, the anxiety grew and the dread of the arrival of the WKCE loomed over their heads. 

 

As a teacher, it is our duty to do whatever we can to help this anxiety.  Today, we put a lot of strategies I've learned in school to action, and they seemed to work!  We took our kids outside to jog around the playground, had a fun brain-break with a bit of role-playing, had snacks ready to boost energy, gave them positive reinforcement before beginning, and gave them gum.  Peppermint gum.  The difference between a focused student and a student in La-La-Land could be found in a piece of gum.  It can be as simple as that!

 

So, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is, and apply the strategies that  I've learned in school - as dreadful as I thought it was at the time.  I have strong faith that these strategies will help student achievement and will be visible in their test results.  Better yet?  I can use the experiences I've had as a student and implement strategies and ideas that would have helped me as a student.  One of the most powerful tools we can have as teachers is the experience of BEING a student once ourselves.  

 

I might not love being in school myself, but I love teaching.  If I can help my students enjoy school and see the light at the end of the tunnel (which I always struggled with), I just might actually be able to practice what I preach....

 

Emily   :)