It's the end of finals! OH, WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY!
As I finished up my finals and had my last panic attack of the semester, I realized how much my anxiety controls my life. When I get stressed, there is no longer controlling my emotions. When I take a test, there is no longer any remembering anything. Describing test anxiety is impossible. Personally, I feel crippled. I can be confident going into an exam and I can read the first question just fine, but as soon as I have any doubt about the answer - it's all downhill. I can look at everything that I studied for days on end and not recognize anything. I look at material that I know that I know and can't remember anything. It's heartbreaking. What is even worse than experiencing test anxiety is knowing that anyone who has never suffered from test anxiety does not understand you at all. They blame your poor performance on not studying enough or not being confident enough.
This made me realize how important it is to recognize students' anxieties. Maybe they have test anxiety or maybe they have some kind of other anxiety. But it should be recognized and understood. Being a teacher is much more than presenting your specific content; its being a source of comfort and a resource for your students. You aren't just their to guide them in understanding your content, but to guide them in life. One thing I know that I will want to do is guide them in understanding and controlling their anxieties. I don't want their anxieties to control them. I want them to control their anxieties.
As I finished up my finals and had my last panic attack of the semester, I realized how much my anxiety controls my life. When I get stressed, there is no longer controlling my emotions. When I take a test, there is no longer any remembering anything. Describing test anxiety is impossible. Personally, I feel crippled. I can be confident going into an exam and I can read the first question just fine, but as soon as I have any doubt about the answer - it's all downhill. I can look at everything that I studied for days on end and not recognize anything. I look at material that I know that I know and can't remember anything. It's heartbreaking. What is even worse than experiencing test anxiety is knowing that anyone who has never suffered from test anxiety does not understand you at all. They blame your poor performance on not studying enough or not being confident enough.
This made me realize how important it is to recognize students' anxieties. Maybe they have test anxiety or maybe they have some kind of other anxiety. But it should be recognized and understood. Being a teacher is much more than presenting your specific content; its being a source of comfort and a resource for your students. You aren't just their to guide them in understanding your content, but to guide them in life. One thing I know that I will want to do is guide them in understanding and controlling their anxieties. I don't want their anxieties to control them. I want them to control their anxieties.