Testing

My “inner teacher” wants me to use the word assessment here.  Personally, I find the word assessment much worse than testing.  Assessment makes me think of graduate school and long hours writing unit plans like this one.  Testing reminds me of elementary school, when our teachers hadn’t been indoctrinated into using the word assessment yet.

        The school where I work loves tests.  They give the students three comprehensive tests a semester.  For one and a half day – each time – they sit at their desks and fill in bubble sheets while a teacher glares at them from across the room.  At the end of the year the ninth graders have the test that decides what high school they can go to.  What high school they go to largely determines what college they go to, and what college they go to determines either the increase or decrease of global warming, communism, any movie starring Ben Affleck, or communicable disease – worldwide.  It’s a lot of pressure.

        Your class will not be included within these comprehensive tests.  You will, however, be expected to test the students three times a semester.  Usually your assistant, the “Chinese teacher” will hand out the citizenship grades.  I give the students three oral tests and three written tests a year.  My oral tests are easy, I help them succeed.  My written tests are not so easy, but then again if I teach words in class they should be able to recognize them – at least a little bit – on a test.  I, like you, am always trying to balance activities that increase confidence, with activities that challenge.  Tests are no different.