How To Prepare Students For Life’s Real Test

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Have you ever been in a situation and wondered, “Why didn’t someone teach me about this in school?” This past year, I finally got a passport and invested in the stock market.

Why did it take me 35 years to learn the value of investing and traveling the world? Because no one had ever taught me its importance or how to do it.

I can recite the Pythagorean theorem, tell you all the battles of the Civil War, and still remember the steps to writing a 10-page research paper. But, it took 35 years for me to learn the importance of investing.

I can also admit that I still don’t know how to unclog a pipe, check the oil in my car, or parallel park. After living in the “real-world” for several years now, I can safely say there are various life skills that I never learned in school.

The majority of our schools will spend the next week taking End of Grade academic test.  However, none of these standardized tests will prepare students for life’s real challenges. After the test is finished, many teachers feel like they spend the majority of time babysitting.

I know I did.

I now realize I wasted time with my students “after the test” that I could have spent preparing students for the real lessons of life.  Why not use this time to teach students about life’s practical test?   There is probably little room in your standard curriculum about “LIFE 101,” however one day your students will appreciate the life lessons you taught them.

You can either teach students topics by inviting guest speakers, taking field trips, or allowing students to research the topics and present them to their peers.

Based on my experience living in the real world, I recommend all teachers take time to teach at least 4 things I wish someone had prepared me for before graduation.

Taxes. What are They and How do I Pay Them?

I still remember the day I got my first paycheck. I thought, who is FICA and why did they take all of my money. Show your students an example of your paycheck or a sample one.  Help them to see how much money might come out of their paycheck when they start their first job.

Students also need to understand they will need to file tax returns each year when they earn money.   Show them what a W2 looks like and how many people they should claim on their taxes based on their circumstances. Perhaps invite a certified accountant in to give tips to students when applying for their first job or filing taxes.

Why Should I Vote and How Can I Register?

Do you know that only approximately 50% of eligible young people ages 18-29 voted in the 2016 election? (CIRCLE) Our youth are a vast majority of the electorate and can have a major impact, but many of them never participate. Helping students understand how, when, and where to vote will help them be prepared and reduce anxiety about the voting process when they can participate. Although many of your students will not be eligible to vote, use this time to allow them to research their representatives and write to them about issues they care about.  This will help prepare students to research when voting for electoral candidates and understand how to communicate ideas and take action about issues that matter to them.

How do I manage money?

I remember taking an accounting class, but I never took a class that emphasized the importance of budgeting and investing money. Allow students to research the salary of the job they would like and create a budget.  Help them practice how they will have money to pay bills, eat, invest, and save. Financial literacy is extremely important. We all pay for others financial illiteracy when citizens buy things with credit they can’t afford, retire with no savings, and don’t consider insurance or health care cost.  Taxpayers end up paying the bill. We must educate our students about how much it costs to live in the real world.  Consider exploring these financial literacy lessons to explore ideas or visit the North Carolina Council on Economic Education for programs or guest speakers.

Why does credit matter?

After graduation, your students may need a car, house, money for college, or want to start their own business. Many students will need a loan for these expenses. Students will also need to understand how to get health, car, or life insurance. This is a very extensive process that the average graduate does not have a clue about. The majority of students are thinking about how to work and make instant money. They aren’t planning for what might happen to them in 10 years with their health or money? However, it’s important to allow students to start planning for how they may need to acquire loans and insurance. Invite someone from a financial institution to help students understand the value and importance of how to establish credit to qualify for a loan, how to keep credit in good standing, and how to explore insurance options that would best fit them.

Life’s Other Lessons

While these are 4 priorities, there are many other life lessons that you can explore with students if time permits. I also wish I was taught how to get a passport, how to drive a stick shift, perform CPR, and fix a flat tire. Ask students to survey their parents or grandparents and find out what they wish they had been taught in school.

What is one thing you wish you had been taught in school? Why not take time this week to allow your students to explore it?  It might just be the most important lesson you taught all year.

7 Creative Ways to Relieve Testing Anxiety

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We’ve reached that time of year again.

‘Tis the season of testing, and it’s not just a stressful time for students. Principals and teachers are also feeling the pressure of end-of-grade exams.

Testing anxiety is a growing problem for our nation’s students. Because so many students measure their self-worth with test scores, they stress out due to fear of failure, and those who have had bad experiences with tests feel defeated before they even begin.

Fortunately, there are things you can do as a teacher to help alleviate your students’ stress. Remember: you are the leader in your classroom. You set the tone, so it’s up to you to create a positive and uplifting classroom environment. Here are just a few creative ways you can raise your students’ spirits on test days.

1) Write

Tell your students how special they are by writing them notes on test days. Let them know their strengths and what they’ve improved in over the year.

You can also encourage students to write positive notes to each other. This will help boost their confidence and help them see their strengths and talents. More importantly, it will help them focus on the fact that tests don’t define them.

Your students may be talented artists, speakers, and leaders, but a single multiple-choice test won’t reveal these wonderful gifts. Take the time to show them that while tests may reduce them to little more than statistics, you know the amazing people they are every day.

2) Dance!

Play music on test days and let your students dance! They’re about to sit still for three to four hours, so let them get some energy out first.

Music is connected to our emotions, making it a very effective tool for reducing stress. Playing music on the morning of a test day will create a fun and stress-free environment in your classroom!

Need help building a playlist? Start with these 30 inspirational songs!

3) Breathe!

In the weeks leading up to a test, practice deep breathing and stretching exercises with your students. Breathing exercises are a powerful technique to relieve stress and anxiety. Teach your students to breathe in and out for three to five seconds and take breaks during the test to help them relax.

4) Color!

Break out the coloring books! Coloring is a relaxing activity that will free your students’ minds. In fact, adults who color often will tell you that coloring can help you feel happier, calmer, and more focused.

If you don’t have access to coloring books, you can find free printable coloring pages online. Start with these free inspirational coloring pages!

5) Paint!

Why not try painting rocks for students to keep near them during tests? It may seem strange, but for many students, having something tangible within reach can help relieve testing anxiety.

Your students can gain ideas from the Kindness Rocks Project by Megan Murphy, which uses rocks to encourage and uplift people. Have students paint their own inspirational rocks to motivate themselves and their peers before a test. Let them paint their favorite colors and write motivational messages on them. And if you teach a grade level that doesn’t have end-of-grade tests, have your students “adopt” another class and paint rocks for them.

If you need ideas, check out these rock painting ideas to get you started!

6) Laugh!

Find ways to include lots of laughter in your students’ day! Show them funny videos. Bring a joke book to school or let students tell their favorite jokes in class.

I’ll never forget my visit to the classroom of Mr. Hendricks, a North Carolina teacher, who starts off every class by telling a couple of jokes. While he admits some of his jokes are corny, they still make the kids laugh, lightening the mood and bringing a smile to everyone’s face.

Encourage your students to smile and laugh more too. Laughter is always good for the soul, especially on test days!

7) Love!

Last but not least, tell your students you love them. You should remind them of this throughout the year, but especially just before end-of-grade tests.

I was in my son’s elementary school recently and I heard the principal finish the morning announcements by saying, “Don’t forget I love you.” These words are incredibly powerful to students, especially to those who rarely hear those three special words at home.

So even if you think it’s a given, make sure you let your students know you love them, because they need to hear it. Never underestimate the power of saying “I love you” to a child; it can help them through the most stressful days of their lives!

Don’t let tests steal the life, joy, and love from your classroom. Implement these seven strategies in your class and you’ll help relieve the testing anxiety for you and your students during these final days of school!

Rise Up, Teachers!

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Spring is here: the weather is warming up, and April showers and sunshine are bringing flowers and fresh grass.

That’s right: spring is the time for “rising up!”

But flowers aren’t the only things rising up this spring. Teachers are rising up too, and have already protested in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Arizona.

Teachers Rising Up

Spring can be a very trying time for teachers. Every ounce of data that must be entered into the system is due before summer vacation, and many teachers feel the pressure of looming end-of-year tests. Yet despite all the stress, there’s no better time for teachers to stand together and rise up to fight for themselves and their students.

Teachers are angry about stagnant pay, decreased benefits, and stressful working conditions. Oklahoma teaching salaries are 49th in the nation, meaning most teachers in the state have to work two jobs to support themselves.

Right now, there’s a teacher shortage in many of the states in which protests are happening, including my own state of North Carolina. Teachers are quitting in droves not just because of unfair pay, but because they’re dissatisfied with how the education system treats them and their students. Competent teachers are tired of fighting for a broken system.

Over the past decade, educators in North Carolina have continually faced issues such as poor career status, loss of longevity pay, cuts to classroom resources, crowded classrooms, and the elimination of retiree health care for teachers beginning in 2021. Understandably, these teachers are planning to make their voices heard on May 16 for Advocacy Day, when state lawmakers are scheduled to return to session.

Already nearly one in three teachers in Durham plan to head to the General Assembly to advocate for class-size reductions, more school funding, and higher wages (News and Observer).  School boards in larger districts, such as Chapel Hill, Durham, Wake, and Guilford County have voted to cancel classes in support of teachers requesting to attend the march (WRAL).

Why We Should Rise Up

Some people say teachers should never go on strike because it hurts their students. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said, “We should all agree kids should not suffer for adult squabbles.” Others add that teachers’ strikes put more pressure on parents, who have to find daycare for their kids while the schools are closed.

However, teachers insist they’re not protesting to harm their students, but to help them. If anything, teachers are walking out more for their students than for themselves.

In Oklahoma, lawmakers raised teacher salaries by an average of $6,100, yet teachers are still protesting. The state spends approximately 30% less on school funding than it did ten years ago, which is why teachers are pressing lawmakers to give students the resources they need to learn effectively.

Meanwhile, teachers in North Carolina are planning to meet with House and Senate members to advocate for school safety improvements, more resources for students, and building repairs.

As a parent, I certainly understand the concerns over child care, but I also understand the bigger picture. While it may inconvenience parents to find childcare for a day, I want adequate resources and class sizes for my child to thrive in school. I want all students to have teachers who are given enough resources, respect, and professional development to offer the best educational experience possible.

I hope our leaders in North Carolina will listen to the outcry from the people who educate our precious children every day. In the state that boasts the lowest corporate tax rate yet stands at 43rd in per-student spending, North Carolina students deserve better. After all, without a good education system, we won’t have doctors, business leaders, and other professionals to change the world.

Rise Up for Our Students

I’m proud of the teachers who are standing together to defend our kids. They sit with their students every day and know what they need to be successful, and that is the mark of great teachers. They have hopes and dreams. They persevere and lean on each other. They believe in the future and fight hard to save it.

Whether it’s writing to lawmakers, protesting, speaking out on social media, going to your local school board, keeping parents informed, or writing to your local paper, your voice can make a difference for you and your students.

Like the song “Rise Up” says, I hope you will continue to rise up and move mountains for your students. When the silence isn’t quiet, we’ll take the world to its feet. So rise unafraid and stand up for what you know is right for you, for your students, and for our future.

Keep rising up and fight for the education all children deserve!