Now is the most honest part of the year. Walk though the halls and listen to what the kids are saying.
Walking around the halls and listening to the kids provides some interesting insights into the minds of our young people. During the days leading up to final exams, it gets that much more interesting. Sure, you get to hear about the teachers that "want students to fail," which probably don't exist. You hear about the exams the students think will be hard. You hear about what teachers the students think are mean or don't like them, but it's not all tearing down teachers.
The most interesting comments to me are the ones that are self reflective. I hear more students that, reflecting on theri own study habits, have labeled themselves "not ready." I heard a few that said they didn't study at all because they were busy doing things that were more fun. I heard others that decided to blow off the final exams because they worked hard all semester and they calculated that they could still get a B even if they bombed the final.
The ones that are most helpful to me are the wishes. I like to write down in a notebook that I keep in my laptop bag the things the kids wish would have happened that would have made them more prepared. Some wish for more games while others wish for more vocabulary practice. I had a kid wish we did more reading or looked at more maps. There are more skills required on thetest than I reinforced frequently in class.
As I plan for next year, I look to the outgoing students to help me tweak my lessons.
Follow us on Facebook; Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud; Stitcher
Related Articles:
"Grit" in DISD Students
"Hyper-Achievement" Culture in Dallas Schools
Tests Make Dallas ISD Student Feel "Stupid"
Testing Anxiety in Dallas Students
**New** Dallas Education Podcast - How are you Ending the Year?
Dallas ISD News and Politics Rundown - May Week 3
The most interesting comments to me are the ones that are self reflective. I hear more students that, reflecting on theri own study habits, have labeled themselves "not ready." I heard a few that said they didn't study at all because they were busy doing things that were more fun. I heard others that decided to blow off the final exams because they worked hard all semester and they calculated that they could still get a B even if they bombed the final.
The ones that are most helpful to me are the wishes. I like to write down in a notebook that I keep in my laptop bag the things the kids wish would have happened that would have made them more prepared. Some wish for more games while others wish for more vocabulary practice. I had a kid wish we did more reading or looked at more maps. There are more skills required on thetest than I reinforced frequently in class.
As I plan for next year, I look to the outgoing students to help me tweak my lessons.
Follow us on Facebook; Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud; Stitcher
Related Articles:
"Grit" in DISD Students
"Hyper-Achievement" Culture in Dallas Schools
Tests Make Dallas ISD Student Feel "Stupid"
Testing Anxiety in Dallas Students
**New** Dallas Education Podcast - How are you Ending the Year?
Dallas ISD News and Politics Rundown - May Week 3
RSS Feed