Today I gave a test to most of my students. It was on fractions, a subject that seems to take up an inordinate amount of time. Even though we prepared on Monday, taking notes (which more than half the students neglected to bring, even though I alerted them they could use them on the test) and going over problems EXACTLY like the ones I would be offering, scores were dismal. Some kids obviously got it, studied, used their notes, but others made the kind of mistakes we pointed out during the review. Some kids, with their notes in front of them, asked me questions that were answered in the notes.
Are these scores a reflection of my teaching? I get depressed because I think "yes." There MUST be something more I can do. Lately I am trying to change that mindset. I am doing what I can. I am providing the kids with the tools they need, the instruction, the examples. It is up to them to make use of them.
And when all else fails, they get to use a calculator on the TCAP, which negates all this time I put in to teaching.
No comments:
Post a Comment