The fourth quarter has begun and with that comes finals and AIR testing which can put a toll on students and teachers.

For teachers the up and coming test can be quite the challenge when it comes to getting students prepared for what is to come. For Tereza Buzdon, a ninth and tenth grade math teacher, it can be a hard time to simply get students to focus.

“Between spring break and the end of the year, testing is just this frustrating time of the year people are itching to get out.The weather is nice we want to be outside and play so a lot of students aren’t applying themselves,” Buzdon said.

With students putting less of their focus on school and more on their social lives it can be a struggle for teachers to get through to them. On top of that teachers have to prepare students for AIR testing.For most of the school year teachers teach students based on what’s going to be on the AIR test.

Edward Beck is a world history teacher who finds it difficult when limited to teaching what’s on a test. He said, “We do gear and make sure that we’re covering the material that’s necessary for the students to do well on the test.”

He then went on to say, “ Sometimes that can be limiting for us and what we want to cover in class because we spend so much time on teaching to that test in some degree.”

The pressure is on for teachers to cram as much information into students before April in hopes they do well. “Teaching to the test can be frustrating and although they say ‘oh you shouldn’t have to do that’ when the high stakes test have so much to do with ratings and student success of course everyone is going to put images on that,” said Beck.

Beck also believes that the tests shouldn’t determine the overall worth of a student but instead a part of them. Beck said, “It should just be one part of a student’s overall assignment. It should not be the be all end all to a students grade in these high stake test. I think there’s too much emphasis place on some of these big test.”

Student Allyson Mahendranath feels that it’s hard to study and remember everything in time for testing. She said, “They’re testing your memory instead of what you actually learned and I’m not a very good test person in general so when it comes to testing I don’t have that good of a memory to cram stuff in my brain last minute.”

Finals unlike AIR testing is something students can at least study for especially since It’s created by Teachers.

As Buzdon said, “[Its] created by us and its based on what [students] learned throughout the year whereas that air test we have no control over it they give us guidelines.”

Similar to Buzdon Beck said, “Those are our test we make so we are much more comfortable with those than something of like a corporation provides for the state.”

Finals for teachers may be a walk in the park since they taught the units and create the test. However for students finals are no different than AIR testing when it comes to preparing for it.

Another student Arianna Thompson also feels that finals are tough to study for and can take a toll on her health. “I’m stressing my mind trying to see what am I looking for what do I need to study or I’m not getting the sleep I deserve because I’m studying for a different test,” Thompson said.

Although fourth quarter can bring a lot of stress and concern to students and teachers alike all isn’t bad as Beck puts it. “There’s some benefits learning how to work under pressure learning how to meet deadlines and so the high stake testing helps with those types of things they have pros and cons,” Beck said.