Test anxiety

I was in the upper school today and notice students bent to their papers today, taking a test. I literally felt a little of the anxiety creeping in- you know the feeling. A small lump in your throat, dry mouth, heartbeat thumping, sweaty palmed anxiety we would feel over the hopes we would be able to regurgitate what we had learned, and even occasionally apply that knowledge to a new situation. That made me reflect on school for my younger boys here. I haven't really shared a lot about the boys' school situation here. They are in an international school that uses the IB curriculum throughout the entire school. At this school, that means no homework or tests in elementary school. NO HOMEWORK??? I know that is what you are saying- whether from envy or disbelief! I LOVE the no homework policy for the younger kids. They are really so overwhelmed with the 7 hours in school. The no homework policy allows time for them to take a break in the afternoon, do all their after school activities directly after school, and we can have family dinner every night. I know. EVERY NIGHT. Quite frankly, the pace I will be returning to in the US makes me nervous. I remember the days of Chick-Fil-A 4 nights a week, practice and games at different fields, and a husband on the road. No thanks. Although we have our moments of stress here, it usually involves how to be in two places at once with only one car. (Yeah for public transportation!) And of course, Stuart and/or I over-committing ourselves. I would love to say we are cured of that, but that would be a lie- we are still learning the hard way. But back to school thoughts. I do recognize that my boys are not moving through their material as fast as they would in the US, particularly math. However, I have also noticed a broader understanding of the material as well as a significantly greater ability to communicate their understanding. They spend a lot of time analyzing, understanding, and reflecting on their learning. They also make connections to things they already know, helping them remember what they learn and further apply it to their own lives. Public speaking and writing skills are emphasized across the subject areas. So they begin to work on technical writing as early as kindergarten! They also do their first presentations in K5. All of these things I LOVE.

I recognize they will have to move back into the US system. And the younger two may indeed be behind in some subject areas. But I think the exposure to other cultures, their ability to be articulate, contributing members of a group, as well as their second (& third for Silas) language abilities will make up for the first few months back when we are struggling through homework and catch up work. In addition, they have become independent and responsible thanks to catching public transportation to and from school, relying on their own wisdom when/if they miss their stop. (Happened to Zee yesterday!)

I really miss the US- but I don't miss the frantic pace of life, and the constant attempt to beef up the kid's résumé starting in kindergarten. I think the biggest plus for me though is in my boys- particularly my middle one. He is transformed into a much calmer, confident, and motivated learner. He is much improved at public speaking. And he likes school.

We were so lucky in the US to have a great preschool and fantastic teachers in the elementary school we were in- but their hands (at least in the public elementary school) were tied when it came to what material they had to cover and even in some of the ways they had to cover it. And the testing...well, in a kid who failed his hearing and vision screenings in kindergarten because of the people around him, does he have a chance in a test taking situation with kids all around him? He was handicapped before he started- the test was testing only how well he could calm himself down and tune out the noises around him, not his actual reading comprehension. However, his nervous system has matured now, he has more confidence. I think he will be ready to enter that world when he hits 6th grade.

So I am truly thankful for this time of education for the boys- for my oldest to thrive, for my middle to gain confidence, and for my youngest to continue to love learning. I'm glad they don't associate learning with test anxiety and the possibilities of failure. I know that tests are a necessary evil (Silas has a Spanish test tomorrow), but I am grateful for the elementary school policy that protects our little ones.

I have no proper conclusion and I am tired, so this is it. This post all started with those middle years students test taking and ended with me wanting to create a post entirely on my phone. Yeah! Done! (Editing not so easy on the phone- please ignore all poor grammar and spelling- although it may be my own fault, you should still ignore it!)