293. [Listen Again] Dear Stellar Teacher: How Can I Make Test Prep Season More Effective and Less Overwhelming?

Standardized testing season is coming — and if you’re already feeling the pressure of long testing days, restless students, and review overload, you’re not alone.

In this Dear Stellar Teacher episode, Sara and Emily share realistic, classroom-tested strategies to help you approach testing season with clarity, confidence, and calm. Instead of cramming more practice into your schedule, this conversation focuses on what actually moves the needle: building stamina, protecting routines, and keeping students regulated and motivated.

If you’re looking for ways to support your students without overwhelming them (or yourself), this episode will help you rethink what testing season can look like in an upper elementary classroom.

Tune into this episode, for takeaways like... how to:

1. Build test stamina gradually to prevent burnout.
2. Treat standardized tests as a genre study to reduce pressure.
3. Make review engaging with themes and rotations.
4. Balance test prep with regular instruction to avoid burnout.
5. Model calmness and positivity to set the tone for students.
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Resources:

Sign up for our free Test Prep Email Series to get 3 classroom-ready lessons that help students slow down, read carefully, and avoid the preventable mistakes that cost them points before they even begin. www.stellarteacher.com/testprep