“Miss, I knew how to do this yesterday…”
It’s something I hear often after a test, and it’s usually said with a mix of confusion, frustration and anger.
A student sits down, looks at a question they’ve seen before, and suddenly their mind feels blank. Not because they don’t understand the work, but because something shifts in that moment. The pressure builds, their heart starts racing, and the thinking that felt clear the day before becomes harder to access.
Over the years, I’ve seen this happen time and time again. It’s easy to assume the problem is a knowledge gap or even a lack of preparation, but more often than not, it isn’t. It’s the build-up of anxious thoughts before the test has even begun.
Students walk in carrying confidence-limiting questions that have nothing to do with the paper in front of them.
“What if I forget everything?”
“What if I get stuck?”
“What if I’m not as prepared as I thought?”
These thoughts starts a process of fight or flight which don’t just sit quietly in the background. The thoughts, literally shut the knowledge retrieval gate for accessing mathematical knowledge. And in maths, that environment is needed for something very specific. It’s needed to hold numbers, follow steps, and think things through logically. When anyone is under fight-or-flight pressure, even familiar questions can start to feel unfamiliar.
I’ve found that one of the most helpful things we can do is not to push through that feeling, but to acknowledge it and calm our thoughts down and make space for thoughts that knows for instance that there will be a formula sheet available, I know how to read and extract information, even if I don’t know how to answer the final questions, before the test begins.
There’s a simple exercise I often suggest to students that only takes a few minutes. Before starting a test, you might try this:
1. Take a blank piece of paper or open a note on your phone.
2. Set a timer for five minutes.
3. Write down whatever is on your mind, what you’re worried about or what feels uncertain.
4. Then write down what you do know, the topics you’ve revised or the things that are starting to make sense.
5. Add a simple plan for what you will do if you get stuck. This might be re-reading the question, demonstrating any knowledge you do have, drawing a diagram,or moving on and coming back later.
6. When the time is up, close the page or delete the note.
There’s something quite powerful in that small act of letting those thoughts go, even if just for a while, and I’ve seen how this changes the way students begin. Not perfectly calm, but calmer. Not completely confident, but more settled. And that small shift is often enough to help them access what they already know.
It’s also something that can be practised outside of test situations. Even before starting a single question at home, taking a few minutes to clear the mind can make it easier to get going. And very often, getting started is the hardest part.
One question I sometimes ask students afterwards is, “What were you worried about that didn’t actually happen?” It’s a simple reflection, but over time it helps them see patterns in their thinking and gradually build trust in their own ability.
In maths, we tend to focus on what students know and how quickly they can show it. But how they feel when they sit down to use that knowledge matters just as much.
When the mind feels crowded, thinking becomes harder. When it feels a little clearer, even by a small amount, students give themselves a better chance.
Sometimes, it isn’t about doing more. It’s about creating just enough space for what’s already there to come through.
I often teach students to breath nice deep breaths and slow exhales as this calms you down when you are in a stress situation.
Ilse Roets is the founder of Square Roets Maths and a passionate advocate for lifelong learning. With over two decades of experience in maths education, she has supported hundreds of students in rebuilding confidence and overcoming maths anxiety through personalised, thoughtful teaching. As a dyslexic educator and lifelong learner, Ilse brings empathy, insight, and practical strategies to every child she works with.
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