Beyond the Books: Cultivating Resilience During Exams

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts."

- Maya Angelou

As we dive into the heart of exam season, these words by Maya Angelou might actually help us reimagine our approach to the inescapable season. Our aim is to highlight different contexts and perspectives that might lead to positive outcomes for all. The dominant ideology is that “exams” are assessments of academic prowess, however, we at MindUteach want to highlight the broader picture; therefore, we offer the principle that exams, in essence, can be a profound journey of self-discovery, resilience, and growth. (You aren’t buying it yet?…dive in, with an open mind, of course!)

Challenging the 'Test Smart' Myth

For many students, the exam period is a daunting mountain to climb. Not everyone fits the mold of being "test smart" – a term that narrowly defines intelligence by one's ability to excel in standardized tests. This myopic view overlooks the diverse intellectual strengths and perspectives students bring to their learning environments. Unfortunately, we as a society haven’t truly adopted a validated and universally-accepted criteria of how to measure success in academics. Here’s where the urgency kicks in: The pressure to conform to this standard can dim the brightest of minds, discouraging those who think differently or express their neurodivergent selves in profound ways.

A Contextual Lens Approach…

The following Contextual Lenses below can support our thinking so that we can be helpful mentors, students, parents, and friends during exam time.

Empathy: Understanding the emotional and cognitive landscape of students can transform the exam experience. How? Recognizing the anxiety, pressure, and self-doubt that often accompany exams can lead to more supportive and compassionate educational practices. Empathy encourages us to create spaces where students feel seen, heard, and valued for their unique ways of understanding the world. Here’s a series of empathy lens prompts for you to consider: Thinking back to my most challenging time as a student, what did I need the most? What did I most value? Now, what would I need to do in order to best support and mentor those who are currently living through exam season?

Social: The power of community cannot be overstated during exam time. Cultivating a sense of belonging and connection can alleviate the isolation that many students feel. We ask that you also consider BIPOC students who need explicit resources and unique forms of support. For many, the ideas shared under the social/societal lens may be obvious, however, we challenge you to think about the students who believe that they are alone. Oftentimes, the stress of exam season propels introverts to think that they need to further isolate themselves. According to Vallejo (2023), "Too much academic pressure may also lead to detrimental effects on students’ relationships. Some develop a highly competitive nature, which may cause friction with peers. Isolating oneself to strive for academic excellence may also lead to feelings of loneliness.” Through study groups, peer support networks, and open dialogues, students can share strategies, encourage one another, and realize they're not alone in their struggles.

Social Lens prompts: How do I/we create structures, policies, and cultures where all students feel valued, supported, and understood? How often do I authentically center the most vulnerable students? As a parent, what are the ways that I can create an inviting and encouraging environment for my child?

Historical: Acknowledging the historical context of standardized testing reveals its biases and limitations. This awareness can empower students to approach exams with a critical eye, understanding that while exams are a part of the educational landscape, they do not define one's intelligence or future potential. Employing the historical lens can ground the conversations that we have as teams, mentors, and educators in ways that offer clarity about the type of learning cultures we hope to sustain, especially with our most diverse and vulnerable learners. Open-ended questions like What do I believe? Why does this matter? Where do we stand? are great ways to begin conversations with stakeholders, shedding light on the testing environment, oftentimes not reflected in the mission/vision of our schools.

Positionality: In order to understand and empathize with those who are experiencing exam season, we must examine ourselves. Positionality is a concept that compels the individual to acknowledge their lived experiences, geographic and social “locations”, and identities, etc., in order to deeply understand their respective values and biases in order to hopefully produce change, for the betterment of those around us. Recognizing the role of social, economic, and cultural factors in shaping your own and our students' exam experiences is crucial. Not everyone has access to the same resources, study environments, or educational support. Explicitly addressing your positionality creates more authentic relationships.

Here are some questions to consider: How does my positionality as a _______, influence my approach to my role as mentor, student, educator, parent?  How do I heal particular parts of my identity and experiences in order to reach resilience…be more understanding…support learners, etc? 

Cultivating Resilience

The goal of exam time, then, isn't merely to assess learning but to cultivate resilience. As our beloved Maya Angelou reminded us, it’s about learning to face challenges, to embrace the discomfort of not knowing, and to rise above failure. Research in cognitive science supports the notion that resilience can be developed through supportive social environments, a growth mindset, and self-compassion. We know that it’s sometimes easier said than done, however, we can all agree that your stress, overwhelm, and anxieties during exam time will soon come to an end. How will you have grown, evolved, or bloomed?

Let's look beyond the books this exam season. 

Let's remember that every question unanswered, every mistake made, is an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and the world around us. 

Let's continue to center empathy, awareness, authenticity, and resilience within our learning communities and relationships!

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Citations

Vallejo, M. (2023, November 13). Academic pressure: Causes, effects, and coping strategies. Mental Health Center for Kids. Retrieved from http://mentalhealthcenterkids.com