I also hear this "Common Comment" from my culinary students. They tell me before a test "I do not test well that is why I came to culinary school". I have found that 90% it is just lack of studing and 10% really need extra help and tutoring.
HI Gina- Welcome to ED 103! The summary of your assessment plan is excellent - best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
I think one good solution to this would be to design your class around a variety of assessments. Written tests, verbal testing, projects and activities. By not putting the majority of the grades weight on just written tests you've included all of your students.
I have heard this many times before & am certain I shall continue to hear it through out my teaching career. I like to ask my students what in particular about the test that they might not have understood so to try to explain. Many times I have found that these students have simply not studied. Our school offers a program in which students can have their test read to them by a school personal to try & make it easier for students who have trouble taking tests. They read each question as clearly as possible & try to explain the question without giving away the answer.
Hi Tenisha - Your pre-test review/preparation is quite comprehensive - well done! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I must say, I have been fortunate enough to have this statement grace my classroom from time to time. I find that an in-depth teaching experience, "in-depth" meaning I research subjects further myself to be able to give the students more than the allocated amount of knowledge that the curriculum provides, I bring in subject materials(books, articles, picture examples, etc) and on the eve of the quiz date I provide a quiz review at the end of class which helps to rehash the information taken in in the past week's activities. My quiz review is verbal and the students have a chance to take notes if they choose. The trick is to offer "vague" subject answers which gets the students to research more on they're own to find the answers. Between this particular method and encouraging study groups I find that past the first week of class the "excuse" is less heard from and it quite literally leaves no more room for such excuses.
it's a self-fulfilling prophecy; that is my reaction when a student gives makes the comment to me. I have tried to give test at the end of a class and using only material taught and reenforced the same day. It sometimes separates the students that use "I don't test well..." as an excuse for their low grades.
I will remember that one for my students. Keep them up beat its a all attitude.
Hi Jill - Thank you for a very informative and thorough post. You instruction methods are excellent! Best wishes- Susan
I agree... Using Howard Gardner's seven original intelligences to construct diverse opportunities for students to demonstrate proficiency or mastery of a content area was helpful to me in my middle school classes, my high school classes, and my career college classes. Some students naturally gravitate toward certain modalities of written or oral language production. I will not offer seven diverse versions of each assignment, but I will offer group pre-writing and planning before independent writing; I will offer group pre-writing, group writing, and group presentation; I offer opportunities for visual aids to facilitate presentation; I will offer graphic organizers at every stage of planning and writing; etc. A consistent axiology and an array of assignments that fit the same pedagogy will facilitate learning in any classroom. And isn't that our primary objective, to facilitate learning?
I have definitely witnessed “I don’t test well” become a self fulfilling prophecy! Students tend to believe it and emotionally get completely stressed out prior to taking a test. I love Chef Ponzoli’s quote to further solidify my reply. I teach in an environment where I can truly see through practical application whether the student has grasped the course content or not.
scott, one way to affect the final outcome is to use the formative evaluations to calculate whether this is true and whether or not a student will need extra help in order to defeat their self-fufilling prophecy. Point out the positives and thier strenghts while giving them the constructive criticsm seems to work for me
I like your quote a lot! Im going to have to use this one.
When a student says that they don't test well I find that it is ususlly a self defeating attitude or an attention seeking type of personality. I try not to assume this, and if I find that the student really can't handle the pressure of a test, I will give them an oral version if possible. This is not something that I can always provide due to time constraints, but I am there for the success of the student.
i agree, this is just a cop out for not applying them selves. I hear that all the time also but ask them a Q about their favorite game or vocal artist and see the Quick response
I with you! My favorite quote that I use when I hear statements like this is by Henry Ford
"If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're right"
Okay, so a follow-up here, and possibly a controversial one...
A while back there was an email making the rounds, allegedly the wisdom of a University professor (of Wisconsin, I think? I must find that email...a web search produced no relevant results).
In it, he had a list of common complaints from students, among them the ubiquitous "I don't test well." His retort was scathingly unsympathetic: essentially something along the lines of "every day on the job is a test. If you don't test well, you will fail not just tests, but in your career as well."
Harsh, to be sure, but is there a kernel of truth in there?
Hi Herve- Welcome to ED 103! We try to identify students with learning disabilities early in the admissions process. That way,we can request their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) info from their high school and put a support plan in action before they start classes.
Best wishes - Susan
Hi Nicholas - Welcome to Ed 103! Do you adjust their grades as you evaluate them afterwards? Just curious. Best wishes - Susan
Some students don't test well. There are some that don't have confidence to take a test. Sometimes they are defeated before the test is in front of them. I evaluate them afterwards and then privately go over the test with them so I know where an individual stands.
