Test Anxiety

Our students/children experience a lot of different challenges during their schools years. Some have to be with the academic part, other with their social part and other with their career part or what they are going to be in the future. All of these are connected and one can Influence another. 
One of the things that can affect them is test anxiety. Test anxiety is a kind of anxiety the student feel before or during taking a test. This can make them feel insecure, might give them physical symptoms (sweating, palpitations, stomach issues), and definitely can affect their test performance.

What our students can do to ease this anxiety?

Well, there are a couple of things that can help them.
Study in advance is for sure the number one thing they should do. Knowing the material will give them confidence and security. 
Take practice tests is another thing that can help them. This is a great technique to use especially when they are taking Math tests. This will help them familiarize with the kind of test they will be taking. 
Another thing they can do is learn to manage their test time, This can be do by trying to answer all the questions they are sure they know. Answer this questions first then go to those that they are not that sure of knowing. These ones will take more time. Also, they can do all the questions that for them are more easy and then go to the ones that they consider more difficult. Why? The won't be stuck in a difficult question or in a question they don't know really well. They will answer the ones they know fast, leaving them enough time for the ones that are not that easy or they are not sure to know well.
To carefully read all the instructions is another thing they can do. Sometimes the student read the instructions to fast and they think they know what they have to do. This could make them do some mistakes giving them more anxiety. Some of them don't even read the instructions at all and this will definitely can affect their performance.
To finalize, staying positive, resting well the night before, eating right, and taking some deep breaths will definitely help them to ease their anxiety and do well on their test.

Take care, 
Tere

Random information about math anxiety and anxiety

Here are some useful information about math anxiety and anxiety that might help you.


-Easy way to teach students fractions using Legos

                  
                                  
-Good one!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/114912227968917153/?fb_ref=114912365400560614%3ApUIfli2U3ffiGZHUaYFi


-Good information about anxiety and the body

http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/what-anxiety-can-look-like-in-the-body-0828124

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13987/this-is-your-body-on-anxiety-infographic.html


-How to reduce test anxiety

-Self reinforcement cycle

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13987/this-is-your-body-on-anxiety-infographic.html

Math Anxiety symptoms, like any other type of anxiety

Math anxiety is like any other type of anxiety. People with math anxiety suffers different physical symptoms. These symptoms can also be present in other types of anxiety.
These symptoms are:

Physical symptoms

• Queasy stomach, butterflies
• Clammy hands and feet
• Increased or irregular heartbeat
• Muscle tension
• Clench fists
• Tight shoulders
• Shortness of breath, feeling like going to faint
• Headache
• Shakiness
• Dry mouth
• Cold sweat, excessive perspiration

Psychological symptoms

• Negative self talk
• Panic or fear
• Desire to flee the situation or avoid it together
• A feeling of helplessness
• Feeling of inability to cope
• Mental disorganization, incoherent thinking
• Feeling of failure or worthlessness
• Extreme tension
• Nervousness
• Inability to recall material studied

All the symptoms presented above are also found in other types of anxiety like phobias.

If you give importance to a person having these symptoms and suffering from any type of anxiety, why can't you give equal
importance to those suffering the same symptoms and have MATH ANXIETY?