“End of year testing is my favorite time of year!” said no teacher ever. (No student ever either.)

Unfortunately, the tests are here to stay. Teachers know that part of our job is to help our students be as well prepared for the tests as possible.

How do we do that? How do we do that? Here are some tips I’ve collected over the years for preparing your students while keeping the test prep as engaging as possible.

PLAN YOUR TESTING REVIEW STRATEGY

The first step is to make a plan for test review. Block out time for some practice before state testing begins. This doesn’t need to take hours or several weeks. Two weeks is usually ample time. It also doesn’t need to take up all day, every day. It’s better to do little bits every day rather than big “cram” sessions, which tend to burn kids out and cause anxiety.

As much as possible, show students what test questions will look like and discuss what the questions ask them to do.

Here’s how to do that.

~Find your state’s released versions of tests. They are usually posted on your state’s Department of Education website. These items are best for showing your students exactly what your state’s test questions will look like.

~It can also be helpful to use other states’ released test items so that your students see various problems and questions. Tammy from Tarheelstate Teacher has some good suggestions HERE. (She also has a great resource for reading tests on Teachers Pay Teachers.)

~Try taking the test yourself! What do YOU do to help yourself solve the problems or read the passages and answer questions? What tips helped you? Show your students your own thought process!

~Pay attention to the vocabulary of test questions. I find that this is what trips students up the most. Phrases like “draw a conclusion,” “according to the text . . . .,” and “what can you infer? “ are not typical phrases we use when we talk to students.

One way to “teach” this vocabulary is to create a T-chart of these words and phrases from sample test questions. List the words and phrases on the left, then have students help you interpret what those words and phrases mean on the right side.

MAKING PRACTICE MORE FUN & ENGAGING

Above all, try to keep your test review practice as fun and engaging as possible. Here are some ways to do that.

~Use non-permanent vertical surfaces (like THESE, but you could also use chart paper) and have students work in groups of three or four.

Attach a math problem, science question, or reading passage to the top of the whiteboard or chart. Allow students to collaborate to answer the question and show their work, as needed.

Circulate to check their work. When everyone has completed their task, have them rotate to the next whiteboard or chart paper and work on the next task.

~Use game sites such as Kahoot, Quizizz, Quizlet (great for vocabulary), Blooket, or Gimkit.

~Create a Jeopardy game to review content, using an online Jeopardy template like this one.

~Use some of your state’s reading question stems and write them on different sections of an inexpensive beach ball.

Read a short passage as a class, then toss the beach ball to a student. They answer the question closest to their right thumb (getting help from classmates as needed), then they toss it to another student to answer a different question.

~Divide students into teams and distribute small whiteboards. Post a question from your state’s math or science test and allow students to use their whiteboards to write their answers. (They can collaborate as needed.) Have the whole team show their whiteboards, or you could rotate and choose different students. Teams earn a point for every correct answer.

~Play “Prove It” with reading tests. Allow time for everyone to read the passage and the questions, but hide the answer choices. Call on a student to answer a question. The rest of the class gets to call out, “prove it!” The student then explains how they figured out the answer.

After they answer the question, display the answer choices and have the student (or the class) choose the answer choice that most closely matches the student’s correct answer. (This is great for teaching students to think about what they think the answer is, before reading the answer choices.)

~Play “Headbands” with concepts or vocabulary. Put students in small groups of three or four. Give the student guesser an index card with a concept or vocabulary word written, but they should not look at it.

The student who will be guessing then holds the card up on their forehead. The other group members give the guessing student clues so they can figure out the concept or word.

Then, the guessing turn passes to another student.

~Play “Four Corners” with multiple choice answers. This works better for science or other content area questions.

Display the question and answer choices. Give students time to think about their answer. Then announce choice A’s corner, choice B’s corner, etc. and allow students to move to their answer choice.

Discuss the correct answer and why it is one choice and not another.

REVIEWING CONTENT FOR TESTS

~Allow students to work together to create a class anchor chart to teach/review a math or science concept.
Hopefully, you have used anchor charts all year long. Remind your students to refer to them often! Even though you have to remove them before the test, students will remember most of what was on the chart when they look at that wall area.

~For math questions, remind students to visualize what the question is asking them to do.

Here is a strategy I recently learned, which works very well.

Retell the problem in your own words.
Read #1: what is the story?
Read #2: what are the quantities?
Read #3: what is the question?

Represent the problem with pictures or equations.

Reason – does your answer make sense? (Remind student to double-check multiplication facts, addition and subtraction.)

~A great retrieval practice strategy is a “brain dump.”

Here’s how to do that:

*List the topic on the board and set a timer for 2-3 minutes.

*Have students write down everything that they can remember about the topic (or about how to solve the math problem).

*Another option is to ask them to write 1-3 things they can remember, and NOT set a time limit.

*Then let students turn & talk with a partner or table group and share what they remember.

By the way, this is a fun and engaging strategy to use for review and practice throughout the year, not just when preparing for end of year tests.

~Provide lots of opportunities to study vocabulary terms for science or math tests. The game sites linked above are great for this practice.

~Mix up the math problems – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. The tests never have all of one topic together, so we need to help students practice “switching” between different math topics.

~Use the 50-50 strategy by trying to eliminate two answer choices that cannot possibly be correct. Some teachers call this strategy “slash the trash.”

~Remind students that they HAVE to look back in the text to answer the questions. This applies to all questions, but especially to questions that ask what a word means in THIS passage. (The words chosen for tests are typically words that have multiple meanings, so students need to reread to be sure their answer choice is correct.)

MAINTAINING STAMINA

Stamina is one of the most important factors in test-taking. These standardized tests usually take about two hours. That is a long time to maintain focus and stare at a screen.

The best preparation is building up stamina throughout the year (during independent reading, for example).

You can challenge your students to work on their stamina as part of their test prep practice. Then, have them share their strategies for getting back on track if they find their energy waning and their minds wandering.

Here are some student-suggested strategies for maintaining stamina and taking “brain breaks” during testing:

*look away from the screen for a few seconds
*close your eyes for a few seconds
*massage your temples
*take quiet deep breaths – in through the nose, out through the mouth
*rotate your neck in circles
*stretch your shoulders or stretch your legs

TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

Teach your students test-taking strategies and have them practice the strategies as they take practice tests or work on practice problems.

READING TEST STRATEGIES

~Try using the SMART strategy:

S – scan title and passage
M – make manageable parts to read (choose a “chunk” of the text to read, then stop and think about what’s happening in the text)
A – add notes as you read
R – return to the passage for evidence
T – try out all answers to find the best one

~Tell students to LOVE the selection! Have them practice saying things like “I’ve always wanted to read about . . .” or “Yay! I get to read . . . “ Tell yourself that you’re excited to read this passage. (And you only have to love it for 15-20 minutes.)

This is a much better option than looking at a passage and thinking that it looks hard or boring. When we approach something with excitement (even if it’s fake), we read it differently.

~Read the question, but think about what YOU think the answer might be before you read the answer choices. (This is similar to solving the math problem before looking at the multiple-choice answers.)

~Look back in the text, especially for the vocabulary questions.

STRATEGIES FOR ALL TESTS

~Read all of the answer choices before making a selection.

~Use the 50-50 strategy. Try to eliminate two answers that couldn’t possibly be correct.

~Flag a question and come back to it later if you’re having trouble with it.

~Solve the problems on the math test! Don’t just guess an answer choice that looks like it could be right

~Teach your students to take their own brain breaks during the test when their attention is wandering (see the suggestions in the “Stamina” section).

SUPPORT

~Show students what to do with the blank paper provided for the test. Do you expect them to use it for solving math problems, listing vocabulary terms for content, or taking notes on a reading passage? Show them what you expect and incorporate that into your test prep practice.

~Another option for the blank paper is for students to write down affirmations or “sunny thoughts” that encourage them. You might make a list of these prior to testing days and tell students to choose the ones that resonate most with them. They can write them on their blank paper. Seeing that encouragement during testing might help them keep going!

Suggestions for a “sunny thoughts” poster:
I can do this!
I won’t give up, even if something is hard!
I will relax and use my strategies!
When my brain gets tired, I will take a break so I can re-focus!
I believe in myself!
I will do my best, no matter what!

~Show students any tools they may use on the test. For example, our state’s online test includes a highlighter tool and a tool for slashing the wrong answers. Show students how to use these tools.

~Ask families to write a letter to their students, encouraging them to do their best on the test and reassuring them of their love and belief in the student. These letters can be opened on the morning of the test. (My students have always loved receiving these.) Let families know about this and ask for the letters to be returned to you by 1-2 weeks before the test. If a family does not return a letter, this gives you time to find a special adult within the school who will write a letter to the student.

~Finally – plan some fun, hands-on activities after testing is over the day. Extra recess is an obvious choice, but think of some other classroom projects that might be fun to do during that time. Here is another post with some ideas!

No one likes standardized testing, but we all understand the purpose that it serves. Helping our students to be prepared and confident is our goal. I hope some of these tips will be helpful to you and your students! The best news about the testing season is that summer is not far away!

You can reset your classroom any time. It’s never too late!

But one of the best times to consider a reset is after a break of some sort. Try some of these tips to reset!

CLEAN UP

*Clean up your classroom. Get your students to help. Somehow, a messy environment encourages poor work habits and less than stellar behavior. A simple process like cleaning up can help reset your own expectations and alert students that there are going to be some changes around here!

Start with your own space. If you use a small group table or a table for your computer, clean up those spaces. If you have a teacher bookshelf in the classroom, straighten up the books, recycle whatever you can, store resources in a closet or cabinets if they are not used every day.

Now – for your students. Have them clean up their tables, desk caddies, or desks. Everything needs to be removed and either put in the appropriate place or recycled/thrown away. Then move on to student storage spaces, such as cubbies. Have them clean those out by removing everything and only putting back what needs to be there.

What about all those stray papers flying around? They belong somewhere – in student binders, student folders, turn in work bins, or the recycling bin if they are past their use.

You can then give students cleaning wipes to clean up all surfaces. They will love showing you and each other how dirty the wipes are when they finish! (Make sure they wash their hands afterward.)

REVIEW/RESET PROCEDURES

*Now it’s time to reset your classroom procedures. I like to make a T-chart for this. I list the procedures that we’re doing well on the left and the procedures that need some practice on the right. Starting with the positive (what we’re doing right) is always helpful.

You can share your list with your students or, even better, you can make a class T-chart with their suggestions. (See if they match up with yours! They might be more strict about what they need to improve than you are.)

To reset procedures from the right side of that chart, choose 1 – 3 procedures to start.

Here are some quick tips for resetting procedures.

1 – introduce the procedure

2 – discuss why it’s important

3 – discuss what it should look like and sound like

4 – model the right way to follow the procedure

5 – act out the wrong way to follow the procedure (really exaggerate this – it keeps things light and students enjoy it)

6 – review what it SHOULD look like or sound like

7 – practice the correct procedure

List the “focus procedures” on the board. This helps keep those procedures at top of mind for both you and your students.

When you and your students believe that those procedures are “mastered,” move on to the next 1-3 procedures and repeat.

REVIEW/RESET RULES & CONSEQUENCES

*Now that your classroom is clean and procedures are being reviewed, review your rules and consequences.

I tend to keep classroom rules fairly simple so they can cover a lot of behaviors and so they can be remembered easily.

You may have seen posts about “1 Rule Classroom” on social media. Here it is:

If what you are doing:
~interferes with learning
~hurts someone’s heart or
~prevents you from being your best self
YOU SHOULDN’T BE DOING IT.

If the rules that you and your class created at the beginning of the year are not working somehow, don’t be afraid to repeat the process, or simplify it to one rule.

Now for the consequences. Follow your school’s procedures, of course, but here is a simple framework:

1 – Use some kind of visual warning to redirect (hand signal, “teacher look,” proximity, quietly shaking your head NO, gently touching the student on the shoulder).

2 – Call attention to positive behaviors as a reminder of what is expected.

3 – Set limits by reminding students what you expect (and what you will not tolerate). Allow students to fix it without redirection.

4 – Pull the student aside and have a private conversation (or as private as possible) with a natural consequence. (Change seat, use a calming area to get yourself under control, etc.)

5 – Provide choices (which gives the student some sense of control in the situation).

6 – Change the student’s location.

7 – Consider using a buddy teacher’s classroom as a place for a student to “reset” by being in a different environment.

8 – Use some sort of “think sheet” or reflection sheet (here are some examples from We Are Teachers website).

9 – Contact parent/caregiver.

10 – Seek other help for the student’s behavior.

*Once you have established or revisited your procedures and rules, we get to the hardest part – you have to be consistent. You don’t have to be mean about it, but you do need to say what you mean and mean what you say.

Use logical consequences whenever possible.

Remove a student from a situation (partner, table group, area) where they are not doing their best work or are causing problems for others.

If they “broke” something (made some kind of mess or hurt someone’s feelings, etc.), they need to “fix” it. (That might mean cleaning something up or having a conversation with the other student or writing a letter of apology, once they are ready to apologize.)

Suppose they are misusing something (technology, breaking pencils on purpose, talking at inappropriate times to students at their table). In that case, they might need to lose the privilege for a period of time. (Losing the privilege of using technology, sitting alone instead of at a table with others, for example.)

In the case of pencils – offering them golf pencils is a way to give them a pencil, but have it be a material that is not as easy to misuse.

*Provide time to practice whatever procedure or rule is not being consistently followed. I know it’s a pain, but it’s another way to show students that you mean business.

When/if it becomes an issue of only a few students not following expectations, let the rest of the class go on to some activity and schedule a time when those few students can practice with you. (Maybe they have to be late to lunch or recess?)

*Use other tools (besides your voice) to get students’ attention. Clapping rhythms, a doorbell chime, a bell, windchimes – whatever works for you.

*Get kids up and moving whenever possible. I have more suggestions for doing that in this post.

*Keeping kids active is great, but sometimes you just need some peace and quiet.

One good technique for that is to get students’ attention (and wait for their silence), then tell them that you are all going to take one minute of silence. During this time, no one should talk, move, or make any other noises. Closing eyes is optional (but encouraged). Demonstrate how to take deep breaths (breathe in to a count of four, then out for a count of four).

Set a timer. And enjoy the quiet. (Or play a calming music playlist if you prefer.)

This helps calm everyone, brings down the “temperature” of a stressed or agitated class, and helps everyone reset.

What about students who will not comply? This is where your rules and consequences need to come into play. It’s also fine to let students know that you will continue practicing one minute of silence until everyone gets it “right.” Once students see how relaxing it is, they usually get on board.

*One of my favorite ways to reset behavior is to have a mystery student every day.

I write down the name of a random student, but I don’t tell the class the name of the student. Then we choose a focus behavior that we are working on. It could be a procedure as mentioned above, or it could be some other behavior that needs some “work” (like excessive talking during work times, interrupting/blurting out, rowdy transitions, etc.).

Throughout the day I remind them that I am watching the mystery student to see if they are showing the appropriate behavior.

At the end of the day, I do one of two things.

If the mystery student exhibits the appropriate behaviors, I announce their name (if they’re okay with that) and the class earns points toward some kind of class reward (such as free time or extra recess).

If the mystery student did not exhibit the appropriate behavior, I do not announce their name. I simply say that the mystery student did not meet the goal, but that tomorrow is a new day and a chance to do better.

*Notice and comment on the good things your class is doing. Don’t make this about singling out a “teacher’s pet”; instead, find things that many students are doing. (If you do want to give shout-outs to individual students, you might do that with a private post-it note OR choose different students every day to highlight so that it doesn’t become a “choosing favorites” issue.)

*A great way to reinforce positive behaviors and recognize students is to use something as simple as a mailing label sticker. You can write on them (or print them) with comments like:

*ask me how I had a great day today
*ask me how I helped my teacher
*ask me how I helped a friend
*ask me why I am proud of myself
*ask me how I made good choices
(or any other fun ideas you have). Most students really love getting these and proudly wear them home.

*Give occasional “you deserve it” class rewards. Whenever it works for you, do something fun like giving them extra recess, 15 minutes of free time to draw, play games or just talk, bring a stuffy to school day, “beach day” or “camping day” (they can set up towels as beach mats or campsites and do their work there that day). If you’re allowed to give food treats, small pieces of candy or non-allergenic treats are fun.

RELATIONSHIPS & SOCIAL SKILLS

*If social skills are an issue, you can read some picture books about kindness (see my list HERE) and reinforce your expectation that everyone treat each other with kindness and respect. It’s fun to create some scenarios and have students act out good ways to talk to each other (encouraging each other instead of criticizing, for instance, or ways and times to use good manners).

*Work on your relationships with your students, especially students who are more difficult to love. Try to touch base with each student positively every day (a checklist helps you keep track of this).

Use the words “I noticed . . . “ to point out something you see that the child is doing well or something that you see they enjoy (as a way to start a conversation). Join them at recess and just chat. Sit with one or two students at lunch (allowing them to choose a friend to join). This will help students want to do the right thing. (No, it does not solve every problem. But it helps make many behaviors better.)

*Default to compassion. Asking a student about what is going on with them always works better than accusing or assuming the worst. (Again – no, it will not solve every problem. But it will give you a heck of a lot more information about how to help the child while reassuring the child of your love and concern.)

*Contact families/caregivers with positive information about their child. A simple email or voice mail or message on a family communication site will do. Keep track of these communications so you can make sure you get to every student.

RESET YOURSELF

Here are an assortment of tips for taking care of yourself while resetting your class!

*Do some “spring cleaning” at home. Play some music, declutter a closet, clean up an area that is bothering you.

*Buy some inexpensive home decor that cheers you up. Fake plants,
fake flowers (or buy yourself some real flowers!), new dishtowels, a good-smelling candle, a cute notebook, some new Flair pens, and/or a bag for your pens! Whatever makes you smile!

*Plan a fun “field trip” for yourself, even if it’s to a local state park.

*Try a different workout, even if it’s just for 15 minutes

*Buy yourself something new to wear! Try Stitch Fix if you want a personal shopper to make some choices for you. You only pay for what you choose to keep!

*Find some new playlists on Spotify (or Apple Music) or make your own!

*Get a new water bottle and keep yourself hydrated!

*Stock up on healthy snacks like protein bars or packs of almonds.

*Make a list of movies or shows you want to watch when you have the time.

*Make a list of books you want to read when you have the time.

*Go for a walk and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

*Keep a gratitude journal .

*Make some plans with a friend.

*Clean out your closets and donate whatever you don’t need.

*Do something creative – calligraphy, writing, painting, playing a musical instrument.

*Plan some spring and summer menus.

*Splurge on a manicure and pedicure.

*Eat some really good ice cream!

*Do a brain dump in a journal.

*Plant some flowers or a new plant.

*Try meditation.

*Try some yoga poses.

There you have it! Some quick and relatively easy ways to reset your classroom (and yourself) after a break, or any time of year.

I have several posts with more detail about resetting. But if you’re interested in a mini-course with more resetting guidance, get on the waiting list here!