You can't stop negative thoughts by wishing they would go away, pushing against them, or feeling bad about having negative thoughts. Any focus on negative thoughts gives energy to them and increases them! Your mind has to be set on positive thoughts and good thoughts because then you're giving energy to that. It's just a matter of practice and determination so that if you find negative thoughts creeping into your mind, immediately turn your focus to positive and good thoughts. And deliberately think them until you feel better!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Tips Test Takers Should Know
Tips Test Takers Should Know
·
Be Prepared– Get a good night’s rest the night before and have a good
breakfast the morning of the test, have number two pencils.
·
Reframe Your Thinking– Some students don’t
believe they can do well on the test. Think positive! Encourage yourself
with positive self-talk such as “I can do it” and “I am ready for the test.”
·
Stop, Look, and Listen– Be still, look at the test
administrator, and listen to the directions.
·
No Fear– Many students are nervous about the unknown. They also
fear they will not go to the next grade if they don’t pass. These tests
are just a small piece of data used to determine whether or not you will go to
the next grade. It is important to work hard throughout the school year because
your quarterly grades are just as important.
·
Plug it In– Use each of the multiple choice answers to fill in the blank.
Some won’t make sense and will help them narrow their choices down.
·
Jail the Detail–Circle or underline the key
words in a test question. You can look for the key words in the reading
passage or determine how to solve a math problem by using this tip.
·
Stash the Trash– Many times, there are
sentences included in test questions that really aren’t important. Cross
out any unnecessary information. This includes answer choices you already
know don’t belong.
·
Zap the Maps– Students sometimes don’t look closely at keys and legends on standardized
tests. You will see a chart with four triangles and say the answer is
four. However, one triangle equals 3 according to a key near the chart.
This makes the answer twelve. Pay attention to the key of a chart,
graph, or map.
·
Pace Yourself–Students are given PLENTY of time to take tests. That being
said, you need to pace yourselves. This just means not rushing through
the test and also watching the time and making sure you are not going too slow
as well.
·
Check it out–Check over your answers when you have completed the test if there
is time left. If you have a bubble sheet, it’s also good to check it for
stray marks.
Reducing Test Taking Anxiety
Reducing Test Taking Anxiety
Test
anxiety is when a student excessively worries about doing well on a test. This
can become a major hindrance on test performance and cause extreme nervousness
and memory lapses among other symptoms. The following are tips on reducing test
taking anxiety.
·
Being
well prepared for the test is the best way to reduce test taking anxiety.
·
Space
out your studying over a few days or weeks and continually review class
material.
·
Don't
try to learn everything the night before.
·
Try
to maintain a positive attitude while preparing for the test and during the
test.
·
Exercising
for a few days before the test will help reduce stress.
·
Get
a good night's sleep before the test.
·
Show
up to class early so you won't have to worry about being late.
·
Chew
gum (if allowed) during the test to help relieve test anxiety.
·
Stay
relaxed, if you begin to get nervous take a few deep breaths slowly to relax
yourself and then get back to work.
·
Read
the directions slowly and carefully.
·
If
you don't understand the directions on the test, ask the teacher to explain it
to you.
·
Skim
through the test so that you have a good idea how to pace yourself.
·
Write
down important formulas, facts, definitions and/or keywords in the margin first
so you won't worry about forgetting them.
·
Do
the simple questions first to help build up your confidence for the harder
questions.
·
Don't
worry about how fast other people finish their test; just concentrate on your
own test.
·
If
you don't know an answer to a question skip it for the time being (come back to
it later if you have time), and remember that you don't have to always get
every question right to do well on the test.
·
Focus
on the question at hand. Don't let your mind wander on other things.
·
If
you're still experiencing extreme test anxiety after following these tips, seek
help from your school counselor.
Dr. Anne Marie Albano's 10 Tips to Parent Your Anxious Child
Tips to parent an anxious child
Dr. Anne Marie Albano's 10 Tips to Parent Your Anxious Child
1. Respect and validate your child’s feelings! Anxiety is a real emotion and not pleasant.
2. Teach your child deep, slow, belly breathing. This is an easy and very portable skill for self-soothing and calming.
3. Listen to your child and ask “Tell me what you are thinking?” This will help to reveal scary thoughts and scenes that build up in your child’s mind.
4. Rather than swooping to reassure, ask your child “How likely is (that thing you’re afraid of) to happen?” You’ll be teaching him to challenge his anxious thinking.
5. Prompt your child with “Tell me some things you can do to handle this situation” and help her to brainstorm, rather than just giving her solutions. She’ll feel empowered.
6. Give up the idea of “mental health days” “skip days” “sleep with mom nights” or other ways of avoiding feared situations. This just makes the anxiety stick more firmly and lead to further avoidance.
7. Encourage your child’s attempts to be brave, no matter how small they may seem to you. Use labeled praise such as “I’m so proud of you for sleeping in your own bed last night!”
8. Work with your child to outline small steps leading to a bigger goal.
9. Create opportunities for your child to practice being brave and coping, and then high-five his/her efforts!
10. Recognize when you are anxious and say aloud what you can do to calm down and solve the situation. You’ll be modeling coping for your child, but be mindful and don’t overshare your anxiety!
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