Thread: Disgusted with test scores

well, I can only say that I understand how you feel. I also teach Spanish...and it always amazes me how little work they manage to get done! Last year I shocked my ENTIRE beginner's group - 25+ students, when I told them I expect them to remember last week's homework work this week too.

I know! The only time I can get 95-100% completion on work is when I walk them through it in class, and that way they don't really learn anything.

I'm handing out an end-of-block questionnaire which asks, "How do you think you would best learn Spanish? Or, if you were the teacher, how would you teach so that your students would understand the material?" I'm curious to see the genuine answers.

About the only time I get anything like 100% completion on work is when I am teaching an honors or advanced class. The rest of the time, I'd guess an average of 70% is about like usual.

if I have done an awful job teaching, or if my grading strategies are out of whack (even though I had planned them out beforehand.)

Here is a horrible truth that never gets told in education schools- you can be the best possible teacher and some of your students will still perform poorly. The fact is that the student will take as little or as much of learning as they see fit, which may or may not be as much as they are able. During your college experience, and probably much of your high school experience, you were around people who were motivated to succeed, as were you yourself. As a teacher, much of your work will probably be with people who are not at all motivated to do much of anything. It is quite a shock. I applaud your attempts to question them about what works- sometimes that is a bold step....

My CT says not to take stuff personally - which I did a LOT at first - but after having graded the second round of tests and seeing that all of one period failed and some scores actually went down, I really don't want to spend the energy on taking it personally. I used it up during two weeks of review.

no, don't take it personally. In my experience, they don't do it because they don't like the lessons. Well, there are always some, but...

It seems that they have never realised that learning a language takes TIME and WORK. They just don't know how to do it. I have several students who come to every lesson, and work hard, but barely pass...

I do believe, that you have not done anything wrong actually. Basically I am of the opinion, that you way of teaching (that was the way it sounded to me) is absolutely adequate and was even good, but in today's times it does not appear necessary for our students to study a foreign language properly, because they are so fond of their mother tongue, that they all seem to think it is a natural habit that the rest of the world studies English so they will not have to study another language in a proper manner. Though it may be hard, but keep your head high and your faith in our youth, maybe one day they are willing to develop.

I think that was hard for me as a new teacher, too. A lot of teachers were good students and it was shocking to see that most kids don't care about their grades and test scores, or even learning for learning's sake. Many don't know how to study and are confused when their classmates have "magically" remembered yesterday's lessons. A few pointers:

1. I teach them how to study, how to make flashcards, write the words so many times, how to quiz yourself, etc. and spend some class time modeling and practicing.
2. For some classes, I tell them they are not allowed to fail. All students who get 75% or less (with some exceptions for IEPs and such) are given an "invitation" to a mandatory study session (this is a detention slip) where they come for after school the next day and practice, practice, practice and then retake the test. It is time consuming at first, but they realize you don't allow their laziness.
3. Be sure you are communicating with parents. If they fail, give them the test to take home and get signed. Attach a note perhaps where they write a 1 sentence explanation of why they failed and what they could have done differently.
4. Be sure there is a way for students who really need help to get it. Do you have regularly scheduled after school/before school or lunch time help available? Not that they will use it much, but they parents should know that you do offer it.
5. You really can't make them learn, but as a new teacher I had to change my philosophy. I used to think, "I taught it, my job is done," but now I realize my job isn't done until they learn and can demonstrate it. That is a much bigger task.

Thanks for all of your consolation and advice!

I've switched schools and am now done with my second block... and actually, since it's English and not Spanish this time around, I've been replacing tests with essays and projects so I've not had such a problem this time around. However, some kids (even with a week and a half in class to do the project) still turned in nothing - I just assumed what they were writing were their papers, my mistake - and I'm not exactly sure how to treat that, since it IS a test grade.

If the reinforcement and importance of the lessons aren't being emphasized in the home, then it's going to transfer to the student. Not only that, but it's going to affect the other students around him because of peer pressure. Teaching is a tough occupation these days. Don't take it personally. Just keep doing what you know you do best. Stay focused on those you know are getting something out of it, even if you can't reach the most resistant ones.