Preparing for the West-B: Feeling Confident, Finishing Strong!

1. Preparing for the West-B: Feeling Confident, Finishing Strong!

2. Today’s Agenda • Strategies to prepare for the West-B • Practical • Social • Timeline • Reducing anxiety • Psychological • Practical • Dealing with “what if’s?”

3. Practical Strategies: Increase Comfort with the Content • Know the test objectives • Determine the meaning of words or phrases in context • Meaning of words using context clues, syntax, and structural analysis • Recognize common use of misused words (two/to/too) • Determine the meaning of figurative/colloquial language in reading • Identify synonyms or antonyms for words in a reading section

4. What Tools Can You Use • Time! Every day something toward the test! • Review basic textbooks • Eighth grade level • GED test book • Teacher test books from other states • Praxis-1 • TExES

5. How To Study the Study Guides • Read directions closely! • Preview section headings • Think of specific questions • Read the chapter thoroughly • Reflect on the examples—relate them to your own background/experiences • Recite and check your understanding • Review questions—can you answer them without referring to the text?

6. Studying by Section: Math • Math section • Flash cards about the meanings • Write your own math problems/stories • Look up sample math tests at the 8th grade level • Find a teen-ager with a Mohawk

7. Studying by Section: Writing • Writing section • Fluency and quality of discussion • Organization, logical sequence of ideas • Developing the argument • Word choice, sentence structure • Correct mechanics i.e., spelling, capitalization, punctuation

8. Studying by Section: Writing

9. Studying by Section: Reading

10. Studying by Section: Reading • Reading section • Start reading! • Talk about your reading to others • Read something and then ask someone else to read it and then discuss • Write your own questions

11. Social Strategies • Trust • Belonging • Accountability • Outside of the group

12. From Those Who Have Done It…

13. Reducing Your Anxiety

14. Know What to Expect • Test 8:30 – 1:30 • Four ½ hours long • Can go to the bathroom • No food or drink

15. Take Control of Your Test! • Look at test questions first • Mark a skipped question to return to it later • Choose a section to complete first • Confidence booster • Make sure you skip on the answer document • Try to eliminate incorrect answers • No penalty for incorrect answers; selecting something is better than nothing • Read thoroughly! • Can read once as an overview • Once with questions • Work backward—quickly scan, then review questions, looking for answers in passage

16. Take Control of Your Body • Dealing with physical symptoms • Deep breathing • Visualization • Heavy hitter: Cognitive reciting • Affirmations

17. Take Control of Your Body • Fuel your efforts: • Get enough cumulative sleep • May be too nervous to sleep the night before • Protein, protein, protein • Caffeine and/or sugar only if it doesn’t cause a delayed free-fall

18. Deal with What If’s? • What if you don’t pass? • 16 times!!!! • Re-offered certain number of times per year • You don’t have to ace it, only pass it • Most people DO end up passing • No reflection of you as a teacher • Masses of people struggle with tests • Help YOUR future students

19. You Will Do Beautifully!Best of LUCK!