Commonwealth Technical Institute, Avoidance Workshop, Test Anxiety Workshop, December 7, 2004
On December 7, 2004, Richard Cooper conducted two training sessions for the staff of the Pennsylvania Technical Institute, at the Hiram G. Andrews Center, in Johnstown, PA. The morning session was Helping Student Break Avoidance Patterns and the afternoon session was Helping Students with Test Anxiety. The participants have been encouraged to make periodic comments about how they implemented the methods they learned during these training sessions.
Participants' Comments:
December 7, 2004
Please rate the aspects of the training on a scale from 1
to 5.
1 = poor and 5 = excellent
CONTENT
1
2
3
4
5
4.727
PRESENTATION 1
2
3
4
5
4.575
ORGANIZATION 1
2
3
4
5
4.575
OVERALL
1
2
3
4
5
4.666
What
techniques will you use in your classroom this week?
v
Anxiety decreasing
techniques
v
As an educational
interpreter/coach reinforce the good habits the student already uses, esp. re:
testing prep.
v
Relax before test
v
Attempt to reduce
stress by becoming a kinder, gentler, relaxed teacher
v
Relaxation and
visualization
v
Relaxation
techniques—especially the progressive relaxation (for me)
v
Breathing, stress
relief
v
Stress relief
v
Stress relief
v
Memory path
v
Memory and
visualization techniques
v
Relaxation
techniques with students
v
Memory path
v
The square
breathing techniques to relax prior to tests, etc. Visualization is also
something I want to try with them
v
Test anxiety
techniques
v
Relaxation
techniques
v
Look into allowing
use of headphones for concentration
v
Visualization
v
Small leaping
circles
v
Relaxation
techniques, watch for test anxiety signs
v
The breathing
techniques
v
Breathing in a
square
v
Memory path and
relaxation technique
v
relaxation
technique
v
Stress relief
techniques
v
Visualization
v
Teach about stress
and anxiety, how to relax
v
Study skills
v
Acknowledging
their reality
v
Stress relievers
v
Stress reduction
v
Relaxation
techniques
v
Relaxation but not
to the place of total visualization (progressive relaxation)
v
Task analysis
v
Breathing in a
square
v
Relaxation
techniques
v
Validate students
fear and anxiety of test taking
v
Relaxing
techniques
One
thing that stands out as most valuable from today’s session is . . .
v
How to approach
those with test anxiety
v
Test question
analysis
v
Relaxation
techniques
v
Stress reduction
v
Recognizing
anxiety symptoms
v
Identification of
test anxiety as an actual problem
v
Dr. Cooper’s
information on the topic is incredible
v
Relaxation
techniques sing of test anxiety
v
Validation that
teaching my students, progressive relaxation is a helpful thing
v
Helping with
stress
v
Teachers attitudes
toward test anxiety
v
Tools—what can
we do for student with test anxiety
v
Memory paths
v
Awareness level
raised
v
Memory path and
relaxation technique
v
Teaching students
who to relax before tests and quizzes
v
Not to dismiss a
student test anxiety. Rather
address it and try a method to change
v
Accepting a
student where they are with their attitude and working with the student though
using different techniques to aid his or her individual needs
v
Test analysis
v
Progressive
relaxation
v
The question and
answer sessions and personal experiences
v
The stress
relaxation techniques and how stress affects students
v
Never say , , ,
“Don’t worry about the test . . . Everything will be fine.”
Need to be honest with their reality.
We need to give it back to them.
v
The instructor
must demonstrate to the student that they recognize the student’s anxiety
v
Different
techniques to use to ease test anxiety
v
Self relaxation
technique
v
Helpful tools to
assist students to achieve more.
v
Fear of test
v
Recognition of
stressed out students before giving test
v
The fear students
have about taking test
v
Visualizing—past
the project to the end and the good feeling associated with accomplishing
something
v
Helping to define
test anxiety
v
Visualization
techniques
v
Getting a students
level as understand ability
v
The recent
revelation that you will work with children previously referred to drug
therapies
What
follow-up do you need (Trainings/Technical Assistance)?
v
How to encourage
legislation/government to refund your grants
v
Hand-out technical
info.
v
None
v
E-mail, webpage
v
will use website
v
Readings on self
hypnosis
v
More information
about topics only mentioned
v
I will follow up
with instructors to ensure they are using Dr. Cooper techniques
v
Additional
discussions on improving test taking and study techniques.
Also, along the line our presentation to them make it easier for them to
understand
v
Training
v
Trainings
v
None at this time
v
Training in what
signs to recognize and how to deal with them
v
More info on how
to tell if students are studying properly possibly a worksheet for them to
answer
In your
opinion, what would be the most effective delivery of this training (online,
face-to-face, or distance)?
v
Face-to-face (32)
v
It depends on the
info; a ws; a course, etc. the needs of the group indicate
v
Face-to-face most
effective
v
Online
v
Online or
distance; I don’t think face-to-face is absolutely necessary
v
Face-to-face;
class environment is best
v
Face-to-face
enhances peer interaction
v
All ways are
effective but I always prefer face-to-face
December 7, 2004
Please rate the aspects of the training on a scale from 1
to 5.
1 = poor and 5 = excellent
CONTENT
1
2
3
4
5
4.921
PRESENTATION 1
2
3
4
5
4.884
ORGANIZATION 1
2
3
4
5
4.923
OVERALL
1
2
3
4
5
4.884
What
techniques will you use in your classroom this week?
v
Personal project
planner
v
When our new term
begins, I will use the worksheet with my new students so that I have entire term
to use the results.
v
Worksheets with
handouts.
v
I intend to use
the personal project planner
v
Avoidance
worksheet
v
Technique question
will work it out with students. Identify hooks will share this info with
students
v
I’ll use the
worksheet in research projects.
v
Identifying
avoidance behavior
v
Personal project
planner tools
v
Finding a hook
v
In counseling the
worksheet will be a helpful tool in assisting students in identifying their
avoidance behaviors
v
I will try to
identify some avoidance styles and activities in that students are using
v
Personal project
planner
v
Avoidance
worksheet
v
Personal project
planner for students accounting practice set
v
Reactive or
proactive, avoidance worksheet
v
Use the avoidance
worksheet
v
I will recognize
avoidance behaviors and try to develop hooks that will pull the student back in
v
Nearing
end-of-term next term will try the avoidance worksheet on several students I
currently have who have issues preventing their success
v
Avoidance
worksheet—development of a plan to aid them in learning and what avoidance
they may use
v
The project
planner for completing assignments
v
Using the hook
v
The project
planner—I’m going to apply it to our food lab
v
Avoidance
worksheet
v
Find the hook.
Why is it important?
v
Recognize
avoidance activities
v
Project planner,
reactive proactive
v
The
reactive/proactive worksheet
v
Analyzing
avoidance styles
v
Utilize avoidance
worksheet to help students identify and overcome avoidance behaviors
v
Since I am not
teaching right now—lots of helpful “reading=understanding” skills learned
here to use in counseling
v
Pay more attention
to student avoidance styles
v
Identify the
“Hook” and try to motivate students to succeed
v
I will use the
Avoidance worksheet
v
I will use the
avoidance worksheet with one student to make them aware of the avoidance
behavior
v
Creating a hook to
motivate my students
v
1st on
myself! Then in observation and as
a tool to aid the students I work for the avoidance
v
The worksheet with
the students on avoidance and trying to determine the “hook
One
thing that stands out as most valuable from today’s session is . . .
v
Learning how to
analyze the causes in students that prevent them from reaching their academic
goals and then how to get beyond them so that student will reach goal
v
The racing mind;
I’ve always thought these were special people born with a hunger to learn
everything and quickly
v
Excellent
information presented during first half of session
v
Other learning
styles and causes for avoiding
v
The hook—the
importance of learning the avoided
v
To find out where
the student is in life and not just the classroom
v
We all face the
same challenges in our work with students
v
Understanding
student fears
v
Work sheet
v
A different
approach but holistic
v
Identification of
the problem of avoidance (student is not just be bad)
v
All information
was very useful. Interesting to
listen to
v
Working through
the handouts
v
Avoidance
worksheet—find the hook
v
Planner
v
Find the hook
(motivation)
v
Recognizing the
avoidance and trying to overcome it
v
Avoidance styles
v
I’m not alone in
my frustration
v
Avoidance
worksheet and hook
v
Finding the hook
v
Finding a
“hook” to help motivate students
v
Relating many of
the topics with my own students “Avoidance Factors”
v
Styles and
Activities reviewed common everyday items/actions—tools
v
Recognizing common
avoidance styles
v
The different
styles and activities to apply to the students
v
Action plan and
awareness of problem
v
Looking at
students who are using avoidance for their class
v
Having new insight
into why students use avoidance behavior
v
Going through
avoidance worksheet and other sheets
v
Understand where
some students are coming from
v
Understanding
avoidance behaviors
v
That I knew there
was difference between the lazy and those who want to learn, but have
difficulties. From this training I
was able to identify some specific reasons and found this very helpful
v
Different types of
avoidance styles and ability to recognize them
v
Trying to
recognize students’ problems from their perspective
v
I think the
Student will help me use this information
v
Learning to find
the hook
v
Avoidance styles
and activities
v
Styles and
activities
v
Avoidance
activities and why
v
I’ve got a lot
of work in view
v
Framing of ideas
v
Various styles and
activities which I have identified with
v
The “hook” and
motivation
v
Personal
experiences shared
v
Avoidance
worksheet
v
Worksheet
v
Avoidance
worksheet
What
follow-up do you need (Trainings/Technical Assistance)?
v
Checking on the
use of ideas
v
None
v
More interventions
v
More tools to use
to generate “the hook” for the individual student
v
Time to do these
v
Definitely
training
v
Need support
v
I will follow up
with instructors to see if they are using Dr. Cooper’s suggestions
v
More training
v
More training on
forms in completing them
v
More training and
tools to apply
v
Hook—example—so
apparent—it is really difficult
v
None at this time
v
Adaptive learning
styles techniques
v
Are there computer
programs to replace the handwritten forms and also to track the progress or lack
of progress
v
Look at the
relationship between life skills and learning
v
Learning
differences
v
Teaching styles
v
More information
in identifying possible “hooks” of making activities that individuals avoid
important to them
v
Similar topics
v
Yes—work with
specific disability
v
Teaching styles
v
Your
e-mail/website address centers
v
More knowledge on
how to work with students in changing their poor habits and understanding or
learning how to reach students and their families
In your
opinion, what would be the most effective delivery of this training (online,
face-to-face, or distance)?
v
Face-to-face with
information form other teachers. Learning
form others that do what I do
v
Face-to-face (38)
v
Online
communications
v
Lecture with
worksheets as was done
v
Face to face,
however online offers more flexibility
v
Face-to-face
allows more interactions during class and most importantly during breaks
v
Face-to-face.
It was helpful hearing others ideas and solutions
v
Face-to-face or
interactive form of distance learning
v
Any
v
Dr. Cooper is
great and I also think this training may be presented online or distance
v
Face-to-face
better chance for discussion and networking with other educators
Questions and Dr. Cooper's Responses: