How to Encourage Students before Testing

a student is pictured holding a pencil and taking a test

Testing season is just around the corner, and with it can come anxiety and overwhelm for both students and teachers. But as teachers, we always want to be sure that our students know that they can do anything and that we believe in them! It’s part of our job to be their cheerleaders. If you’re not quite sure what that looks like during the testing season, check out these testing encouragement ideas for students!

Motivational Testing Treat Tags & Bulletin Board

This bundle includes everything you need to motivate and uplift your students this testing season! Includes fun treat tags to attach to goodies + motivational bulletin board display.

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8 Ways to Encourage Students before State Testing

1. Pass out Testing Treats

Photo of colorful tags that read 'Donut Stress, just try your best' laying on a pink colored paper. Colorful Donut shaped cake pops featured on the right side of the tags.

Baggies filled with cereal and a tag attached at the top of the bag that reads 'If you believe it, you can achieve it"

Print encouraging testing tags and simply attach them to a baggy of Lucky Charms or another treat. Not only will students love the treat, but they’ll also love the encouraging message that shows them that you believe that they will try their best!

2. Wear a Motivational Testing Tee

Your wardrobe can also make an encouraging statement to your students for test time. From motivational tees that encourage students to rock the test and remind them they’re more than a test score to others that remind them they’ve got this, your wardrobe can send a positive message to students as they get ready to do this!

Check out some cute motivational testing t-shirts for teachers below!

Shop Testing T-shirts for Teachers

3. Create an Uplifting Bulletin Board

Colorful bulletin board with black and white borders. Bulletin board reads 'You are Capable of Amazing Things'

Our bulletin boards can’t showcase student work on them during testing anyway, so why not add some uplifting messages for your students to use as a reminder on one of their most stressful days of the year? Check out this ‘You are Capable of Amazing Things’ Bulletin Board kit here. A positive bulletin board message can serve as great testing encouragement for students.

4. Roll Out the Red Carpet

Start the day off on a positive note! Grab some red butcher paper and roll out a red carpet for your students to walk on as they enter your room on testing day. Hang some motivational stars on your ceiling and transform your classroom into a Hollywood premiere where your students can show all that they can do! Play some music and have students dance their way into the room the morning of testing.

5. Testing Encouragement Notes

student holding a green letter from teacher

Write a testing encouragement note to your students and leave it on their desks for them to read when they walk in. It can be an actual letter or a short note on a post-it. You can also write on their desk using an expo marker! Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest impact.

6. Have Parents Write Letters to their Child

If you have parents who are really involved, consider having them write their child a letter. You can place them on students’ desks ahead of time and allow them to read them when they walk in on testing day. It’ll be such a surprise to realize their parents wrote them the letter!

7. Testing Encouragement Videos for Students

Motivational videos are a fun and easy way to get students in the right headspace before testing. Here are some beloved testing encouragement videos I’ve found to get your students into the right mindset before state testing:

A Pep Talk From kid President
Never Give Up: Traditional Cheese Shop
Affirmations Song: Believe in Yourself
Never Give Up: Flying
Believe in Yourself

8. Say a Class Chant

If you haven’t already, I recommend adding a class chant to your routine. In my classroom, we said this before every test. It got students motivated and helped them remember that they could rock the test! Here’s our testing chant:

“Ready, Set — Let’s rock this test!”
“We will, we will — rock this test!”
“Yes, yes I’ll try my best. I know that I’ll rock this test.”
(Recited to the tune of “Rain Rain, Go Away”)

*Looking for a fun way to transform your classroom before the testing season? A classroom transformation is a fun way to encourage students before testing by making their learning environment a little more fun. Check out my Boot Camp Classroom Transformation here.

Best of luck to you and your students this testing season! Share below in the comments ways that you encourage students before testing.