Opportunity to Excel: Freedom Riders Pre-test this week at Morgan School

2/21/11 - 2/25/11:
This week every class and every student at the Morgan School, K-12 exceptional children will be given a Pre-opportunity to excel; to evaluate their knowledge on the 1961 Freedom Rides prior to any exposure to Carolina Character's project Route 1961.

"Words have meanings and meanings impact our feelings.  Change the word, change the feelings, and if the feelings change, then change will occur in the outcome!"
- Adrienne D. Barnette

 "TEST are just Opportunities to Excel"
- Dr. Abrams

Many students experience test anxiety.  That one four letter word; TEST, seems to have an impact on all students irregardless of the student's level of development and academic performance.  TEST tend to make students nervous and anxious and in some cases can cause a level of crisis to arise within the student where the only resolution they feel is available in the moment is that flight or fight syndrome.  Unfortunately, too often the flight syndrome takes over and many students seek to run away from the test by either refusing to take, walking out of class, not showing up for the test, causing class interruptions/disruptions, or guessing throughout the test. 

In fact, as I think back to my own personal experiences with test, I would get nervous, get head aches, stomach aches, get anxious, and before long I would have caused myself unnecessary worry over material that I was already prepared for and knew!  However in the moment to hear the word test, I had already given it a meaning, and that meaning impacted how I felt, which impacted my ability to cope within the situation.  I got overwhelmed in the moment because of that one dreadful word "test." 

Reflecting on graduate school I am often reminded of a wonderful professor I had who amazingly gave no "test"!!  I thought to myself; well it's about time, someone got it!! I was overjoyed until one day in class, that same professor asked everyone to clear their desk for.  Dejavoo; I have been here before! And too often before.. those are usually the precursor of the word "test"!  Everyone in class looked up at the professor astonished!!  The professor calmly stated, no worries, you all are about to take your "opportunities to excel," which really meant that we were about to take a test.  Amazingly though, without hearing that word Test, my levels of nervousness and anxiousness were overpowered by my ability to connect to this new word.  A new word that told me I was given a special opportunity, an ability to show how I could excel.  It was my opportunity to perform!  Who knew that changing one word changed my entire perspective, my reaction, and yes my results!


This week every class and every student at the Morgan School, K-12 exceptional children will be given a Pre-opportunity to excel; to evaluate their knowledge on the 1961 Freedom Rides; prior to any exposure to Carolina Character's curriculum on Route 1961: the Freedom Riders of 1961.

Carolina Character is also providing this pre-opportunity to excel to the faculty and staff at the Morgan School. 

So whether you attend Morgan, or work at Morgan; whenever you are given a "test" realize that someone just mispronounced the word, it should be pronounced "opportunity to excel" and then just  show off.. show how you are able to take advantage of this opportunity and achieve your greatness!  Say goodbye to the nervousness and the anxiousness and hello to a new perspective of achievement!

Thank you Dr. Abrams for helping me change my language, which changed my meaning, which changed my feelings, which ultimately changed my outcome.  Thank you Dr. Furr in helping me view the importance of listening to data (pre/post opportunities to excel).  Data is always speaking we must increase our awareness so that our ears are attuned to its voice.  (click here to learn more on how to become a professionally trained counselor.)