I had severe test anxiety, some gave me a chance
I am the first instructor that students see in the journey in culinary school. Some are right out of high school. Some are career changers. Everyone learns at different levels. When I was a kid I did not test well. I was lucky in the fact my mom was a teacher. She knew what needed to happen. I was tested and the psychologists basically said talk to him and ask him questions and he is brilliant. They said put the same test in writing and a little - no a lot lost. So I treat all students with dignity and respect and do whatever it takes to help get them through the issues they may have. I don't study for them, but I give them the opportunity to do well.
CHARLES,
And the more patience we can show them the better able they will be to concentrate.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have had students with anxiety will talking atest i tell them that we are all different some are good hands on and some are good taking a test
Patricia,
the personal testimonies are a great way to help your students & to let them know that you understand where they are coming from.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Guy,
I am also the first instructor new students see when entering the program. Some are fresh out of high school while others are older students. My adult daughter has test anxiety. This is not a good thing when you are testing to enter a field or advance within your field. So I tell her story to put my students at ease.
Sharon,
this is a great demonstration of the kind of flexibility & understanding we need to have for our students & their situations.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have had many in the past as well with test anxiety. I am currently working with a student who has extreme test anxiety. I have made arrangments with him for additional tutoring to better prepare him. In addition, I am going to give him the exam separate from the class. I disucced this with him and he is willing to try it out. We both hope this will be a more relaxing sitution for him to test.
I see this frequently too. Sometimes I will let a student sit at a table in the hallway and just being out of the room where the testing is can decrease stress. I have also taught at a private school where I was told that I could not do this because they may be cheating when they request to sit outside the room. Any advice?
Helen,
this is a good strategy & as you said, encouraging them to overcome their anxiety on their own & in a safe environment is a great way to help prepare them for the boards.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have had several students with extreme test taking anxiety as well. I have put them in a separate room so they can talk out loud to themselves and this has helped. They won't be able to do this at their board exams so in the meantime I encourage them to practice taking tests online. I like the idea to put a box around each question on paper tests. I will begin incorporating that.
Sean,
yes, the more we can do to alleviate the pressure that they will naturally feel due to the examination/test taking the more we can help them be successful.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I teach audio technology. As part of the teaching I administer in studio one on one skills tests with students. This often weighs psychologically on even the most prepared students.
I try to be as relatable as I can outside of class with everyone. I find this often helps ease the stress level in this situation.
Terry,
this can definitely be the case for some individuals. The key is to help our students succeed & cope with the need to do both.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In reading this , I am reminded that nobody can be good at everything. As a vocational teacher I have seen ,as a general rule , when students do well with their hands , they dont do as well at testing . The reverse is usually true too. Very rare are students that are good with their hands and test well.
Thoughts?
Belinda,
this is a great idea. Also, sometimes helping them talk through the material before the test helps them realize that they do know the content & can be successful.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have had students in the past with horrible test anxiety, and I have actually let them take their test at a different time then the rest of the class, so they can concentrate and not have the distraction of other students as well as the anxiety.
Guy,
this is a great story & a great reminder of how we should approach our students: with understanding & a willingness to help.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
