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Reason #6: Test anxiety.
You have a tutee who has been talking about a big math test all week. The problem is, the talk about the test is also accompanied by bitten nails, nervousness, a high degree of anxiety, or stomach aches. This goes above and beyond the normal "kind of nervous about the math exam" response. This is test anxiety, and it affects a multitude of students at every grade level.
The great news is, as with most academic issues, tutoring can help! Summer tutoring helps calm students down when it comes to test taking. Why? Because, whether or not a student is in summer school, or taking a summer break, the monotony of the traditional school year has been broken. The summer environment is different for the student, and it gives that student a chance to expand his or her horizons, open his or her mind to new ways of learning, gets the student out of the "exams=terrifying" mindset, and allows the student to take on new challenges without the added pressures of standard school issues. In other words, change is good! It breaks the cycle of negative thinking for students, to some degree, and gives the tutor a chance to step in and help.
To get your tutee geared up for upcoming exams, make sure to talk to the student about how he or she is feeling.
Work with the material that will be on the exam - nothing beats test anxiety like confidence in the subject matter.
Put together a few "low pressure" practice tests, or worksheets to get the tutee used to working on test materials. When the tutee is comfortable with the materials, try using a timer to get the tutee used to working under a deadline.
I have used these techniques for some of my test anxiety tutees, and the results have always been phenomenal. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen!
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Photo Credit: © JoanaCroft
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/JoanaCroft
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