At the end of 2021, the spread of the COVID-19 virus Delta variant and the start of the new school year combined to present many educators and administrators with the hardest year yet in the pandemic, in terms of both delivering instruction and assessing student learning. Students entered the school year with increased anxiety, and assessment was an added stresspoint. Nonetheless, assessment is crucial for understanding where each child is academically and is particularly important for identifying any learning gaps caused by situations such as the pandemic-related school closures. So how do educators shift students' negative perception of assessments to an understanding that they are a positive part of their learning journey? This article offers five ways.