Mindfulness Monday (Test Anxiety)

I recently started an anti test-anxiety group based on the book The Anti Test-Anxiety Society by Julia Cook.  I am running this group with a group of 3rd graders as well as with a group of 5th graders.  The group will meet once a week for 5 weeks and we will be incorporating mindfulness and mindset into these lessons.  I have connected you to everything that you need to conduct this group, starting with the book that I am using:

The Anti Test-Anxiety Society

Description from Julia Cook's Website:  

Betha Billinsworth (BB for short) is basically a happy person until she has to take a test.  To her, the word test stands for Terrible Every Single Time, because that's how she does on them, TERRIBLE!  

"Whenever I see or hear the word test,

The hair on the back of my neck stands up.

My face turns as red as a beet.

I start to sweat, my stomach aches, and I can't control my feet!

What if I get every answer wrong?

And I don't get any right.

I just know I'll get a bad grade on this test, so I don't even want to try!"

BB's teacher comes to the rescue by inviting her to become a member of the Anti-Test Anxiety Society.  She tells BB that TEST stands for Think Each Situation Through!

She also ends up teaching BB the Dynamic Dozen (12 amazing test taking strategies), and convinces her to use her "GET To" brain instead of her HAVE TO' brain.

Now when BB takes a test, she is calm and focused and thanks to her teacher, the Terrible now stands for Terrific. You can purchase The Anti Test-Anxiety Society HERE.

Outline of Group Sessions:

Session 1:  

Students complete a test-anxiety assessment.  You could use either one of these:

Test Anxiety Assessment

Test Anxiety Assessment

I then read pages 3-15 in Julia Cook's The Anti-Test Anxiety Society and have a discussion about Warning Signs.  I use the second step program with grades k-2 so we applied information from the Second Step Emotional Management lessons.  We wrote BB's warning s signs on the board and talked about how your brain has trouble thinking when feelings are strong.   I then  had students complete Mindset Worksheets.  For some reason I am having a hard time getting the picture to turn...the cloud worksheet says; Instead of saying..."Terrible Every Single Time" and the sun worksheet says; Try Saying... "Think Each Situation Through".  These quotes come directly from The Anti-Test Anxiety Society.   I use mindset with all of my students in their classroom lessons so I didn't need to introduce this concept to them.  You can get the pictured worksheets for Free on TPT.  If you don't already cover mindset and warning signs in classroom lessons you may want to break this session into two sessions; one covering warning signs and how strong feelings make it difficult to think and the other session talking about mindset.  You can find some mindset materials HERE.

Session 2: 

During session 2 I read the rest of Anti-Test Anxiety Society.  We talk about how the brain works and we go over the mindfulness poster that comes with the MindUp Curriculum.  We talks about our mindfulness posters from the week before and then discuss using the GET TO part of your brain verses the HAVE To part of the brain (pages 16-17 in The Anti-Test Anxiety Society).  We review the warning signs from the previous lesson and begin a discussion on how strong feelings prevent the thinking part of the brain from working and allow the feeling part to take control. (Hand visual from Second Step).  These are some good resources that are FREE on TPT:

Reducing Test Anxiety Freebie on TPT

Test Strategies: Stop the Anxiety

Hand Visual-Flipping your Lid

Session 3:  

We review the information from sessions 1 and 2 and then focus on the "Dynamic Dozen" from Anti-Test Anxiety Society.  This is a list of 12 simple things that will lesson test anxiety.  I then have students create this foldable.  I changed mine to read T.E.S.T. on the outside ( Think Each Solution Through) and then I had students put the 12 tips from the "Dynamic Dozen" on the inside.  They did 3 tips per door.

Test Taking Tips Foldable "RELAX"

Session 4:

Session 4 is spent practicing tip # 6 (Stay relaxed).  We review our warning signs and then brainstorm ways to relax.  I use some of the strategies from Wilma Jean The Worry Machine, another book by Julia Cook, in the lesson as well as strategies from A 5 could make me lose control.  We practice the following techniques:

Breathing using the "Breathing Ball"

Visualization-Special Place

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Positive Self-Talk

Session 5:

We review the materials from previous weeks.  We discuss warning signs and each student reads the 12 tips from their foldable.  We then practice our "calming-down" strategies.  At the end of Session 5 I handed out notes of encouragement:

Notes of Encouragement for Test Takers FREEBIE

More Connections:

Test Taking Tips Freebie on TPT

7 Proven Strategies to Reduce Anxiety at School and at Home

Parent Handout-Test Anxiety

Parent Handout

Teens Health:  Test Anxiety Info

Test Anxiety Booklet

Mindset

The Big Test

Outsmart Test Anxiety-Workbook for kids

Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety: A Workbook for Overcoming Anxiety

Purchase The Anti Test-Anxiety Society HERE.

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Anxiety Group (Wilma Jean the Worry Machine-Grades k-3)

10 Session Anxiety Group Using Wilma Jean the Worry Machine:

Session 1:  Introductions, getting to know activity, group rules, topic discussion, decorate folders.

Session 2:  Read Wilma Jean the Worry Machine.  Students fill out page 5 from the Activity Guide (What Are You Worried About?).  Arrange worries from in order from biggest to smallest.

Session 3:  Discussion about worries that you can control and worries that you can't control.  Fill out page 6 from the Activity Guide.

Session 4:  I Feel It Here (Page 7 in the Activity Guide).  Discussion:  When you worry about something, where can you feel it?  Discussion on how are body feels when we are worried.

Session 5:  Thoughts and Feelings (Page 8 in the Activity Guide).  Discussion:  Thoughts effect feelings.  Discussion:  How can we change our thoughts?  Positive self-talk practice.

Session 6:  How Do You Feel?  (Page 9 in the Activity Guide).

Session 7:  Strategies: pages 10-13 in the Activity Guide or  Worry Dolls, Worry Stones, Square Breathing, Figure 8 Breathing, Worry Box.

Session 8:  Worry or Unworry (page 20 in the Activity Guide).  Discussion:  how to make worries go away.

Session 9:  What Are They Worried About (page 22 in the Activity Guide) or "Stick It" To Your Worries (page 24 in the Activity Guide).

Session 10:  Worry-Free T-Shirt (page 19 in the Activity Guide) and Root Beer Worry Floats (page 10 in Activity Guide).

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Anxiety Group (3rd-6th grade)

Session 1:  Begin with introductions, purpose of the group, group rules, and a get-to-know-you game. I usually do the M&M or Skittles Game.

Session 2:   A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control is then used to identify stressful situations.  Students spend time sorting through word/picture cards and rating the stress level associated with that particular situation/place/object.  For example, a student may take the cafeteria card and rate it as a 5. This tells you that the student views the cafeteria as a highly stressful environment.    (Newer version: A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control).

Session 3:  When my Worries Get Too Big! is a great follow up to  A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control!   This book offers strategies for dealing with the stressors that were rated in the 3-5 range. We begin the lesson by reading the book together.  This book is interactive in that it asks students to talk about things that they are good at, things that make them feel relaxed and finally, things that make them anxious.  The book gives an example of a calming-down sequence and strategies to reduce anxiety.

Session 4:  Review When My Worries Get Too Big!  Review calming down strategies listed in the book.  Students then create index cards with calming down strategies.  You can find some great free ones HERE or HERE.

Session 5:  Review the calming down sequence used in  When My Worries Get Too Big! Each student creates their own calming down sequence.

Session 6:   Create a plan! I love  these books on TPT!  Take all of the information gathered from the previous sessions and put it together to create a plan for managing anxiety.

Sessions 7-8:  Check-in with students/review calming down strategy plan, strategies and calming-down sequence.

Making Mistakes (Beautiful Oops!)

I was really excited to find the book Beautiful Oops!.  I see a handful of students who put a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect.  I have been using the book Nobody's Perfect as well as the book The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes.  Both of these books have females as the main character so I was looking for something more universal.  When I saw this book, I thought it was perfect for all students.  I also love that there is an educator's guide and lesson plan available.

Description from Amazon:  A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator.

An award winning, best-selling, one-of-a-kind interactive book, Beautiful Oops! shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder.

Connections:

Lesson Plan (turn mistakes into art)

Dare to Make Mistakes

Educator's Guide

You can sign up here to receive free materials!  http://www.beautifuloops.com/take-the-resolution/

Dragons

I have some difficulty finding good books for boys, so when I saw You've Got Dragons I took a chance and ordered it.  And I love it!  Boys don't always want to admit that they are worried about something.  In this book, a boy pictures his problems as dragons.  Before I read the story I make it very clear that whenever the word "dragon" is used, the boy is talking about a problem that he has.  My students don't have any problem catching on to the concept of the story and after we read it they are ready to tell me about their own problems.  In fact, last week we had a student who was refusing to speak.  He was sent to my room where he remained silent.  Finally, I pulled out this book and read it to him.  I allowed him to make his own dragon and before I knew it he was talking to me!  

Lesson 1:  

We read the story and discuss the character's problems.  
Discussion questions:  What are 3 ways that Ben tries to get rid of his problems? 
Do those strategies work?  Why or Why  not?  What is Ben worried about at the end of the book?  How does Ben finally get rid of his problem?  

Lesson 2:  

Students get the opportunity to draw their own dragon.  They also name their dragon.
Discussion questions:  Tell me about the size of your dragon.  Tell me about the color and details of your dragon.  How did you name your dragon?  What problem does your dragon represent?

Lesson 3:  

Students talk about how they are going to conquer their own dragon.  I let students be as silly as they want about conquering their dragon.  We then go back to the problem that the dragon represents and take some time brainstorming ways to manage the problem.  I also have students write there own tips for dealing with Dragons.  The character in the story gives four "top tips" for dealing with dragons so I encourage students to come up with at least four tips of their own.  

Lesson 4:

In the story, the main character, Ben, answers questions in the format of an advice column.  I decided to create a student worksheet where they get the chance to solve some of Ben's problems.You can get that here:  Advice Column  

****I have also let students make their dragon out of playdough and then smash it at the end of the session.