Teachers Hopeful For Student Success During Testing Week

Tuesday marks the beginning of state testing season in schools, which can be one of the most stressful parts of the year for teachers.

Tristan Stafford teaches 3rd Grade at Celina K-8 school. She said that the stress is a combination of scores reflecting on her, and wanting success for her students.

“You can see the looks on their faces when you talk about it and you don’t want them to have anxiety about it, but then you also want them to know the seriousness of it,” Stafford said. “So it’s a mixture. A lot of nerves going into it I think for all of us. But I try to keep them as calm and relaxed about it as possible.”

Stafford said that they work all year to help kids prepare by incorporating testing concepts into their curriculum. She said that way kids will have some familiarity with possible test questions.

Stafford said that in the days leading up to testing, she tries to switch up her teaching style.

“We’re at the point where we’ve gone through lots of practice tests and everything like that so now I’m trying to do more fun. hands-on review just trying to get them more excited,” Stafford said. “And I don’t want them going into the week exhausted either.”