Learning From The Praxis

The Praxis test series is very interesting to me. I took the Praxis I so long ago (3 years) that I barely remember it. I do recall that it involved a lot of basic facts and had a few essay questions. I also remember that I wasn’t too worried about passing it. Maybe it’s because I knew there would be plenty of time to re-take it if necessary or maybe I was just confident about the content. Taking the Praxis II in July of this year was a different story. I was definitely concerned about the outcome because time is at a premium now. The Praxis II was actually 2 separate tests. One was multiple choice and the other was in essay form. Each test was 2 hours long. I’ve never known four hours to pass so quickly in my life! The following four weeks waiting for the test results to arrive, conversely, passed very slowly at times. The results of the multiple choice test arrived last week and the essay results arrived this morning. I am greatly relieved to announce that I passed. The most interesting facet of the Praxis to me has been assuming the role of student test-taker. This is an experience I’ll embrace as I embark on teaching my future students and help to prepare them for the various assessments that they’ll encounter. It’s important to know the content of a test and various ways to apply that content, but it’s also critical to know how to manage the emotions involved in the testing process itself. Taking the Praxis was a great lesson to learn and a very valuable experience.