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Effective Strategies for Math Teachers During Testing Season

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Summary

This article discusses effective strategies for math teachers to use during testing season. It suggests avoiding "drill and kill" practices, encouraging students to lead the learning process and review sessions, and realizing that only some students need to work on specific question types. The article also emphasizes the importance of supporting students in making sense of mathematical concepts and building their confidence to lower test anxiety. Finally, it suggests strategies for preparing students for year-end assessments, such as practice tests, exit tickets, and quizzes.

Q&As

What strategies can math teachers use to help students comprehend concepts during testing season?
Math teachers can use strategies such as avoiding hitting multiple standards quickly, encouraging students to lead the learning process and review sessions, and realizing that only some students need to work on specific question types.

How can teachers avoid “drill and kill” approaches to test preparation?
Teachers can avoid “drill and kill” approaches to test preparation by focusing on standards that need more refreshing or clarification, encouraging students to showcase what they know through productive struggle, and utilizing small groups and student interviews to determine if they understand a math topic.

What is the "spacing effect" and how can it help students master content?
The spacing effect is a research-based strategy that involves revisiting key math concepts throughout the school year so that students can review and master content over time and make connections to previous lessons.

How can teachers assess students without taking away from instruction?
Teachers can assess students without taking away from instruction by using low-stakes and ungraded practice tests, exit tickets, and quizzes for informative purposes concerning next steps.

What strategies can teachers use to build student confidence and reduce test anxiety?
Strategies teachers can use to build student confidence and reduce test anxiety include setting students up for success after tests, making test prep more fun and less rigid, and understanding that students naturally forget and need to review key math concepts throughout the school year.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides great strategies to help math teachers during testing season. It encourages student sense-making and focuses on building student confidence to reduce test anxiety.

👎 This article does not provide enough strategies to help teachers prepare students for standardized tests. It also does not adequately address the issue of students forgetting material after a test.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about strategies for math teachers during testing season. It encourages teachers to slow down the process and focus on understanding concepts instead of just passing tests. It also suggests having students lead the learning process, providing enrichment with rigorous and engaging standards-aligned tools, and building student confidence to lower test anxiety.

Friend: That's really interesting. It sounds like a great way to help students actually understand math and not just memorize the answers for a test.

Me: Absolutely. It emphasizes the importance of teaching students to be sense makers and not just test takers. It also suggests strategies to help teachers prioritize quality teaching over daily practice tests. This could be really beneficial for students in urban and rural environments who are often at a disadvantage when it comes to standardized testing.

Action items

Utilize small groups and student interviews to slow down and assess student understanding of math concepts.
Incorporate activities that make math test prep more fun and engaging.
Prioritize quality teaching over daily practice tests and utilize data recording sheets to track student progress.

Technical terms

Pedagogy of Poverty: A term used to describe educational practices that focus on providing information and controlling behavior in order to produce outcomes.
Mathematical Practice Standards: A set of standards that define the expectations for students to understand and apply mathematics.
Performance-Based Assessments: Assessments that allow students to demonstrate their learning through choice.
Drill and Kill: A term used to describe a teaching method that focuses on speed rather than strategies and connections to standards.
Zearn/Prodigy: Online programs that provide students with rigorous and engaging standards-aligned tools.
Spacing Effect: A learning strategy that involves revisiting key concepts throughout the school year.