We could talk all day about the problems with standardized testing season.
They kill creativity. Inhibit critical thinking. Pad the wallets of those who least need it. But one of the worst and most difficult aspects of standardized testing season for teachers to manage is active monitoring.
Active monitoring is a particularly painful form of boredom designed by states to prevent students (and teachers) from cheating on standardized tests. Teachers may not do anything that is disruptive to students, including talking, sitting, grading, writing, drawing, reading, or using technology of any kind. In fact, the only thing teachers can do during standardized testing, which can last several hours or, in some cases, an entire school day, is:
1) Take a walk
2) Watch students take the test
15 minutes of doing nothing is a good break. One hour of active monitoring is officially terrible. Days in a row? maddening.
until now.
Here are some ideas to engage your body and mind without breaking the testing rules: (I have some additional ideas on my blog.) I hope this helps you this testing season.
1. Memorize your students’ first, middle, and last names.
Then, after the test, surprise them completely by calling their name in a creepy whisper. “Thank you for returning the test materials, Piper Marie Dunbar.”
2. Embrace life as a beverage goblin.
As far as I know, no state places limits on how much liquid teachers can drink during standardized testing. Now is not the time to limit yourself. Hey friend, go to the gas station or grocery store and fill up your bags before school.
3. Make an ABC list.
One of my former colleagues has a frighteningly brilliant mind. To keep that content available during PD (often PD we had already attended), she wrote the entire alphabet split between two columns on the third or fourth page of her legal pad. She then added themes to the top, such as “Cities I'd Actually Like to Visit” and “What the Dentist Sees in Your Mouth.” In her PD process, she started each letter with that letter and filled it with words that fit the topic. For example, your “list of cities I actually want to visit” might start with Adelaide, Bangkok, and Cairo.
She watched the presentation intently, occasionally nodding thoughtfully at the presenter, flipping over her legal pad and “taking notes,” but actually adding another idea she had thought of to her ABC list. Like I said, it's great.
And before you rush to say that you can't just look at a list while actively monitoring, yes, I know. The ABC list actually requires very little visual attention. Write a piece of paper ahead of time and keep it on your clipboard (exam reminder, seating chart, roster, etc.). You only need to watch for a few seconds at a time. This is a much shorter amount of time than taking your eyes off your students for other required standardized test-related tasks.
Here are a few ABC list themes to get you started:
- brand name
- cute animals
- Things I want to buy if I win the lottery
- terrible baby names
- Object or character from a Pixar film
- What I am thankful for (“What I am thankful for” from my English teacher)
4. Exchange a surprise gift basket with your partner who will be in this active monitoring hell with you.
(You can do it alone, but it's more fun if it's a surprise.)
Basically, the test teacher curates a collection of small snacks to enjoy every hour (or 30 minutes). Snacks don't have to be candy. This could be a fun office item, a printed and folded Sudoku, or a series of puzzle pieces that reveal a picture or message at the end. This gives us something to look forward to, even though we only have less than 6 hours left.
Pro tip: Choose hourly snacks at the back of the classroom to keep students from getting distracted by the fun.
5. Hold a small amount of Silly Putty in your hand and try making various shapes without looking.
snake. prism. A pile of pancakes. snow man. A snowman wearing a hat.
6. Think about your response to the question, “Would you like to…?” Ask a question or create your own question.
Do you want pogo sticks for your legs, or fully collapsible arms?
Would you rather live in the worst place you can think of but have the travel budget to go anywhere in the world for three months out of the year, or live anywhere in the world but never be able to leave?
Would you rather own a dragon or become one?
7. Pretend it's a car.
I love making “scrrrrr!” As I rounded the corner of the line, I heard a noise in my head.
8. Pretend to be a spider making a web.
As you move around the room, think about what patterns you will create in the web you leave behind. Then think about how strange it would be if you were a human leaving the web. Then don't laugh.
9. Pretend to be a ninja.
Take a walk around the room as quietly as possible.
10. Think about the last thing you want to say.
Is it scary? yes. But doesn’t standardized testing make us all feel that way? I love Bob Hope's last words: He said he was “surprised” when his wife asked him where he wanted to be buried.
11. Just before the test, place the ice cream in a nondescript cup or mug in the back corner of the room.
After about an hour, you can enjoy your milkshake!
12. Find objects in the room that rhyme or almost rhyme.
You can also use the student's name and/or how you feel as a supervisor (e.g. bored, Lourdes, table and miserable). lol.
13. Print the riddle in small font and place it somewhere only you can see it.
The back of a filing cabinet in the back of the room is perfect. Monitor the time and find the answer to the riddle. After you solve a problem (or give up), just casually pass by and read the next problem.
14. Listen to the musical's soundtrack right before a standardized test and enjoy every song that pops into your head for the next eight hours.
“Into the Woods” and “Les Miserables” 100% work.
15. Send positive vibes to each child, one at a time.
I imagine that positive vibes are actually yellow spaghetti-shaped wiggly tubes that connect between our brains, but you can imagine whatever you want.
16. Arrange to receive special treatment after each standardized test.
That way, you'll have something good to think about during the infamous post-lunch active monitoring slump. “Just a little bit longer and I can go home and get my slow cooker beef tips!” or “It’s hard work, but in a few hours I’ll be watching Netflix with moisturizing socks on my feet!” But please make sure your snack is more interesting than mine.
17. Think about what your school would be like if you were the principal.
First of all, secondary schools mandate a nap time after lunch.
18. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. There is limited scientific evidence to support this, but anecdotally this technique may reduce anxiety (and help you fall asleep later!).
19. Do something nice for yourself.
Add a drink containing vitamins or adaptogens to your drink goblin lineup, stretch your neck, lift your calves, and make a gratitude list. If states are going to standardize testing, standardize self-administration!
20. Think about what goes on your vanity license plate.
If that's boring, think about what you would put on your vanity board if you have a favorite character from literature or history.
I hope you've found a new activity or two to make standardized testing season more enjoyable and less boring. It's still a slog. But a little creativity can go a long way in increasing your patience.
PS: We have heard from many people who came across this article through their principal. I would like to express my gratitude to the administrators who still remember my life as a teacher. You are a real person.