This is part 3 of a 4 part series of posts I am hoping will help you help kids be able to better manage the experience of April's IAR test!
Time limits. Teachers hate 'em. We all know that imposing time limits on kids can cause stress for some students. We all know that kids are different and learn at different paces. Teachers are happy if their students can show what they learned in 30 seconds or 30 minutes or sometimes even 30 days -- all that matters is that the kids learned!
But the hard truth is that the IAR test is a timed test, and that is going to cause anxiety for some of our students -- the ones who like to do everything "perfectly" or the ones who know they might need more time to get things done. So one thing we can do is practice setting time limits on things we do in class sometimes. That doesn't mean we can't give kids more time later to complete what they need to do; it just means we need to find ways to get kids accustomed to having to work within time frames. Perhaps you're having kids do a hands-on project in class. Let kids know that their time to work will be done in 20 minutes. When that time is up, stop the kids. For the kids who might find time constraints a challenge, this will be an opportunity to help them work within those constraints in a safe environment, assuring them they can come back to their work later. It's also helpful to explain that sometimes we do things that we just have to finish in a certain amount of time, and you can try imposing hard time limits on some activities, if you think it's okay and won't be too much of a stressor. Ultimately, what is difficult is when a student only faces a time limit once a year when taking this test, so hopefully by practicing during the school year, we can make it a little easier on the kids!
While I'm writing about time, let's talk about "seat time". We all know it's not good practice to have kids parked n their chairs for long periods of time. But the IAR test can require students to be seated (in front of a computer) for as long as 90 minutes! To help kids with this, try giving them tasks where they can practice being seated and working for longer periods of time. Also find ways to make them comfy -- cushion to sit on, opportunity to swap out one chair for a different one, stretch breaks. We all know how challenging it can be to concentrate on the work we need to do if we are uncomfortable in our seat and have been sitting for too long. Let's try to find ways to help kids feel comfy when they have to do a task that is going to take an extended period of time to complete so they can truly give their best effort!
What do you do to help your students deal with time limits? Share in the comments -- one of you will get a cool prize for sharing your strategy!
I do agree that kids can get anxious when taking a timed test.If you do it regularly it is no big deal. We do timed math quizzes and after some time, they don't even mind anymore. The movement is a little harder now with the pandemic. I am going to start trying some different ways that they can work and not be sitting. One thing we have been doing since last school year is going outside in front of our classroom with our Chromebooks. The kids spread out their beach towels and the Wi-Fi works because we are close to the building. They can take off their masks, get some work done, and breath some fresh air. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is great! Hopefully kids just get used to some things being timed, some things not, and realize that even with timed items, the important thing is to still put forth best effort!
DeleteIn 2nd grade, we have introduced the kids to Rocket Math online. This program gives students a time limit to practice their facts, then gives them a break to "recharge". The program doesn't want them practicing too long, so the kids work hard during the time they are given.
ReplyDeleteWe also have timeframes within the classroom before we move on to another subject. Any unfinished work goes into a folder for safe keeping until the student has time to return to the work to finish it.
Perfect! This gives kids the opportunity to work within time constraints without feeling too stressed!
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