Each spring, a familiar shift occurs in schools across the country: bulletin boards get covered, “quiet” signs multiply, and both students and teachers brace for standardized testing season. For many educators, this stretch of the year can feel like a marathon without a finish line in sight. Stress levels rise, sleep gets sacrificed, and it’s easy to feel like you’re carrying the emotional load of an entire classroom.
But what if survival wasn’t the only option? What if testing season could be approached not just with resilience, but with small sparks of joy, intention, and sanity-saving strategies?
Here’s how educators can survive — and even thrive — during testing season.
1. Prioritize Self-Care Without Guilt
It may sound cliché, but self-care is not a luxury during testing season; it’s a necessity. Sleep, nutrition, and mental breaks directly impact your ability to stay patient and positive for your students. Think of yourself as the emotional barometer of your classroom — the steadier you are, the calmer your students will feel.
Action Tip: Build “reset rituals” into your day — a five-minute deep breathing exercise, a favorite playlist during lunch, or an afternoon walk around the building after dismissal.
2. Simplify to Reduce Decision Fatigue
Testing weeks are filled with dozens of small but critical decisions. Eliminate unnecessary choices wherever possible: prep testing materials ahead of time, set out your clothes the night before, pre-plan simple meals. The fewer decisions you have to make each morning, the more mental energy you’ll have for the things that truly matter.
Action Tip: Create a testing day checklist that covers essentials like sharpened pencils, student rosters, and login information. Laminate it. Live by it.
3. Create a Calm, Encouraging Atmosphere
Students often internalize the stress they sense from adults. As testing days approach, a calm classroom can be a powerful antidote to anxiety. Maintain routines where possible and sprinkle positivity into the day — not toxic positivity, but genuine, grounded encouragement.
Action Tip: Post a daily affirmation or motivational quote for students (and yourself) to see first thing in the morning.
4. Accept What’s Beyond Your Control
Technology glitches, absent students, last-minute schedule changes — they’re not a matter of if, but when. Accepting that some aspects of testing season will be chaotic allows you to focus your energy where it’s most impactful: supporting your students.
Action Tip: Mentally rehearse a few calm responses for common problems (“Let’s take a breath and troubleshoot,” or “We’ll figure this out together.”) Having them ready reduces the chance of emotional escalation.
5. Celebrate the Small Wins
Testing season often overshadows the extraordinary learning and growth that happens all year. Take time to recognize small victories: a student showing perseverance, a team effort in calming nerves, a smooth morning routine.
Action Tip: Plan tiny, joyful events — a “brain break” dance party after testing ends each day, handwritten notes of encouragement, or a treat table for staff and students.
Final Thought
Testing season will never be easy, but it doesn’t have to feel like an endless grind. By protecting your own wellbeing, creating a calm environment, and celebrating small moments, you transform the testing experience into something greater — a testament to your strength, your students’ resilience, and the deep, often unseen work of true education.
You are more than a test score. So are your students. Never forget it.