As standardized testing comes and goes each year, a familiar trend continues to surface: Students often feel they are being tested on pressure, not ability.
High-stakes exams, strict time limits, and performance expectations can overshadow the skills and knowledge students have worked all year to develop. Over time, this experience can be detrimental to a student’s mindset and shape how they view themselves as learners. As a fourth-year teacher, each year nearly half of my students report feeling anxious or overwhelmed by standardized testing, which can interfere with their ability to demonstrate mastery.
It is a tale as old as time, words educators hear every year: “I’ve never passed a standardized test in this subject,” “I just don’t test well,” “I’m going to fail; I always do.” At this point, we are met with two paths: the student who accepts defeat before even trying, and the student who succumbs to overwhelming pressure. Both are equally devastating for students and teachers alike, as nonproficiency rarely reflects actual content mastery. Instead, the true test lies within the student and the mindset shaped by fear and past experiences.
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Standardized testing environments often become breeding grounds for fixed mindsets, and while these assessments show no signs of going away, it is our responsibility to counteract their impact. Students must be reminded and shown that regardless of background or past performance, growth, effort, and confidence can lead to success. Embedding Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies into the curriculum can help students build resilience and approach tests with a growth mindset.
As educators, we must be wary of falling into the same trap. When a student consistently demonstrates understanding in the classroom yet fails to meet proficiency on a standardized assessment, we must ask what this truly indicates and how we can intervene effectively. Simply accepting that a student “just doesn’t test well” is not a solution; in fact, it reinforces the very fixed mindset we are trying to overcome. No matter how often we encourage students to try their best or reassure them that a test does not define them, words alone are not enough — it is time for action.
What students truly need are intentional actions and support systems embedded into the curriculum, strategies that help manage stress, build confidence, and prepare them to demonstrate what they know in a healthy, productive way. Even dedicating 30 minutes a week to explicitly build these skills can make a significant difference.
Possible interventions
- Visualization or mindfulness exercises to calm the mind and focus before a quiz or test
- Reflection journals to process learning experiences and setbacks
- Goal-setting checklists and vision boards to track academic progress and motivate growth
- Creative and reflective activities that help students reconnect with their strengths and remember what brings them joy
- Growth mindset activities that encourage students to view mistakes and failures as opportunities for learning and improvement
Integrate these practices wherever possible, into a dedicated set time, preplanned lessons, or test-prep activities. It may require some adjustment, but they should be a nonnegotiable part of the curriculum. After all, it does not matter how many times standards are covered if a student lacks the confidence and self-regulation skills needed to apply them independently.
So if you pass by my classroom and see high schoolers coloring their feelings, drafting vision boards, or crafting mindfulness playlists, remember: this work is just as important as covering the standards. These activities remind students of what makes them happy, celebrate their unique strengths, and reinforce that they are bigger than any test. They help students shift from fearing failure to embracing effort, showing that the worry of not performing well should never outweigh the value of trying.
When applied thoughtfully, these practices can extend into lessons that deepen understanding and build skills for success. A confident, resilient learner will face academic challenges far more effectively than one weighed down by fear, stress, and self-doubt.
Supporting students’ social-emotional growth is not optional; it is essential to true educational success — nurturing learning that goes beyond a test and prepares them to thrive in the world.
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