Assessments and tests are a vital components to any class. They gauge student learning and understanding. But the mindset behind assessing students can be toxic which has created a generation of students who not only had math test anxiety, but also fear failure.
What is Math Test Anxiety?
Test anxiety is defined as a type of performance anxiety or psychological condition in which students may feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious on an extreme scale about being assessed.
According to Paul D. Nolting, a national expert in assessing math learning problems, lists these as the nine causes of test anxiety.
- Association of grades with self-worth.
- Develops from different types of fears.
- Can stem from feeling a lack of control and change in situation.
- Previous embarrassment from teacher, students, or family.
- Placed in wrong class.
- Past and continued negative experiences or attitudes.
- Consequences of perfectionism.
- Fear of timed tests.
- Poor study and personal habits.
The Purpose of Assessments
Now before we jump into how we can ease math test anxiety for our students, I want to talk about the purpose of assessments.
Assessments are a tool in which to gauge students’ learning, understanding, and retention of a concept. They are a tool to measure growth.
Yes, they have a grade attached to them. But that grade is a direct reflection on what students can show they know. Tests are not a “Gotcha!”
Let me say that again.
TESTS. ARE. NOT. A. GOTCHA.
If that is how you as the teacher perceive them, no wonder your students have test anxiety.
Harsh? Think about is this way. When the principal comes to observe you in the classroom, what is their purpose? Are they there to see how many things you are doing wrong? Or are they observing to see how you are running your classroom, how you are improving, what areas you need to grow in, and how they can help you?
It’s the latter one!
We need to take this mindset and apply it to our classroom. That is why I have shifted calling assessments to “Celebrations of Learning.”
The Powerful Change
It’s not about just slapping another title on a test and continuing classroom life as usual. Changes need to be made behind the scenes too.
When I first started calling assessments “Celebrations of Learning” my students would giggle and roll their eyes because they knew it was still a test. And it was.
But here’s where the change comes in.
Whatever students have learned is worth celebrating.
Read it. Save the image. Print it and hang it on your classroom walls. Let your students hear it day in and day out. Whatever your students have learned is worth celebrating.
If the purpose behind assessments is to measure the growth of your students understanding, we need to start making that a reality on all fronts.
What does that mean for grades?
Grades are just a progression bar for how much a students has learned. Whether you use A though F or 4 to 1 / Not Enough Evidence, it shows the progress students have made towards mastery in the concept.
Our school uses Proficiency Based Teaching and Learning. Here is a great article about it here! But here is the Cliff Notes or Spark Notes version. (Spark Notes was always my preference! Ah, the good ole days.)
Proficiency Based Teaching and Learning (PBTL) is the idea that teaching, assessing, and grading are based on students demonstrating proficiency in whatever they are expected to learn throughout their years in education. And for math in Oregon, those expectations for students is the Common Core State Standards.
With that in mind, students’ grades are reflection of how well they are learning the expected concept.
Think of a progression bar. When students come into your class at the beginning of the year, they all start at 0 (or Not Enough Evidence) for every concept. As they learn new things, the progress bar moves. The goal is for all students to fill out that progress bar to the max in every topic covered.
If that’s the goal, assessments are merely a reflection of the progress bar. And any progress made is worth celebrating.
How does this ease math test anxiety?
Changing the name from “test” to “Celebration of Learning” can help students shift their own mindsets about the purpose behind assessments. When they realize that you as the teacher are not giving it as a “I sure hope you remember this, MWAHAHA!” or “Looks like you should have paid better attention in class!” but as a “Let’s celebrate what you have learned so far.” it changes the feeling and vibes surrounding it.
And when the atmosphere around an assessment is calmer, more relaxing, and more positive, students will have less anxiety about how they are performing. Because they know, “Whatever I have learned is worth celebrating.”
It’s a full system change, but it is a powerful one that can ease math test anxiety.
What's next?
