There is a certain feeling that settles into a school building this time of year. You can sense it in the hallways, in the workrooms, even in the quiet moments before the first bell rings. Testing is just ahead. The schedules are set. The resources are ready. And whether anyone says it out loud or not, there is an awareness that we’ve arrived at something important.

For some schools, there are only a handful of days left before it begins. There’s not enough time to go back and reteach everything we wish we had. Not enough time to revisit every standard or fix every missed opportunity. The truth is, the bulk of the instructional work has already been done. Day by day, lesson by lesson, decision by decision, it has all been building toward this moment.

And now we are here.

It would be easy to let anxiety take over in this space and feel the weight of what we wish we had done differently. But I’ve come to believe that these final days aren’t about trying to recover what’s already behind us. They’re about being intentional with what is still right in front of us. While we may not be able to change every instructional outcome, we can still influence every student walking into that testing window.

I remember what this time of year felt like when I was a school leader. There was always a choice to make. We could let the pressure quietly build, or we could shift the experience for both teachers and students.

We chose to make it feel special.

Each morning, as teachers checked out their testing materials, something small awaited them, such as a treat, a note, a simple gesture that said, “We see you.” It didn’t take much, but it mattered. It reminded them that all the effort they had poured into their classrooms over the year hadn’t gone unnoticed.

For students, we created an atmosphere that felt entirely different from the pressure they might have been carrying. There were snacks ready, encouraging words spoken, and hallways lined with posters from younger students who had adopted the testing grades. Those messages followed them all the way to their classrooms and served as little reminders that people were rooting for them. They weren’t just students taking a test. They were our students, friends, siblings, etc.

They were the main event.

They walked in a little taller, a little more confident, and a little more aware that they mattered. And sometimes, that is exactly what they need. Confidence doesn’t suddenly appear when the test is placed on the desk or appears on a screen; it’s built in the moments leading up to it. It grows when someone takes the time to remind a student of how far they’ve come, of what they can do now that they couldn’t do before, and of the effort that has carried them to this point.

These last few days offers us the chance to do just that.

For leaders, this moment matters just as much, not as a time to tighten expectations or add pressure, but as a time to lift the people who have carried the work all year long. A small gesture, a kind word, a thoughtful touchpoint can shift the entire tone of a building. Teachers feel it. Students feel it. And the environment changes as a result.

Then the testing window closes, and just as quickly as it came, the building exhales. It is in that moment, when things begin to settle, that another decision waits to be made.

Late-Lee, I’ve been thinking about what happens next. All too often, this is where the energy fades. The urgency softens, and the days that follow can start to feel like a slow walk to the finish line.

But learning was never meant to stop here.

In fact, this may be one of the most important stretches of the entire year. Now we have a clearer picture of where students are. We have seen what held and what didn’t. We know where understanding is strong and where it still needs attention. That kind of clarity is a gift if we choose to use it. This is the time to go back and strengthen what matters most, fill gaps that will follow students if left unaddressed, and allow them to solidify skills in a way that sets them up for what comes next.

It is also a chance to look ahead and introduce ideas and concepts that will meet them at the next grade level. This acceleration will help build confidence before they ever step into a new classroom the upcoming year. 

None of that happens if we stop teaching.

I think that is the part we have to hold onto. The goal was never to get through the test. It was never just about the score that would eventually come back. The goal has always been the student sitting in front of us, still learning, still growing, still needing what we have to give.

What we do in these final days before testing, and in the days that follow, says a lot about what we believe. We can rush, worry, and try to control what we no longer can. Or we can slow down, be present, and give our students exactly what they need most in the moments that remain.

Sometimes that looks like encouragement. Sometimes it looks like a celebration. And sometimes, it simply looks like continuing to teach as if every day still matters.

Because it does.

Reflections

In these final days before testing, how am I intentionally building confidence in my students, not just reviewing content?

After testing, what will I do to ensure learning continues in a way that truly prepares my students for what comes next, rather than simply filling time?