Journaling before Assessing

Introduction: 

We've all been there. The dizzy, ill-equipped, self-loathing, self-esteem destroying, tunnel-vision before taking a test. My experience with test anxiety occurred for the first time in college, but many of my students at the middle level are already experiencing this feeling of dread with the adoption of state mandated tests in reading, math, science, and writing. 

Today I read a study where a group of researchers allowed students with test anxiety to journal for 10 minutes prior to an exam. Research indicated that students improved their score by one grade point when they were allowed to journal. 

This "unloading" exercise was shown to help students focus on the content and not on the anxious feelings that welling up inside of them while taking the test. What if a student was allowed to journal prior to the exam about the information that they DID know instead of worrying about what information the teacher picked and selected from the unit? How could the experience of "showing what you know" improve students' outlook on testing? 

Classroom Application: 

• Journaling: Incorporate 2-5 minutes of reflection into every day.  Provide a handout with Monday-Friday listed as well as the week. Have the students sum up the day's events in 12 words or less, draw a picture, or write a definition they learned. On Friday, pick up the weekly reflection. When you begin to prepare for tests or other various assessments, hand the reflections back to the students. This should give them a good idea about what is going to be on the assessment and lessen their anxiety. 
• Take it one step further....Non-Testing Assessment: One of my college professors never ceased to amaze me. His testing style was unique to say the least. He simply gave us a lined piece of paper with the topic printed on the top and told us to "show what we know." Those of us that studied did very well. We were given extra credit for using metaphors, similes, and pictures  to explain our thinking or abstract concepts. Grading was done by a simple checklist of common themes that were discussed during class. He looked for terms, patterns, and connections. What type of test do YOU think "Shows what you know": a multiple choice answer, or a grand essay of all of the thoughts and connections that you brought to the classroom? I know this type of assessment may not fit into all classrooms or all units of study, but shouldn't it have a PLACE in the classroom, even if it is merely formative in nature?