As many of us already know, test day is best day. Why? Because we as teachers get to take a little time, sit (stand) back, and watch our students make DISD proud by performing well on our 3 week/6 week/ACP/STAAR tests. Test day can also be worst day when we know our students haven't learned anything we've tried to teach them. How do we get them ready? Teaching isn't enough. This is where effective review comes in. Read more after the jump.
The low performance on tests can't be exclusively blamed on a lack of readiness among Dallas ISD students. It can't be blamed on the low level of literacy in many DISD schools. It can't even be blamed on a lack of effort in Dallas classrooms. One of the main causes of poor test performance is a fundamental misunderstanding of what reviewing and studying are.
Review days in class can be extremely helpful in helping students identify the critical information they need to know for their exam from all of the information we've been throwing at the for the past unit. Many of our students struggle finding that important information on their own. Main ideas, key concepts, trends, and other information is difficult to find if you don't know how.
Make it fun. Play a game. Resist the urge to just teach to your teacher made test. All of the information on that test is important, but not more important that teaching your students to go find and learn it rather than just memorizing the information that you put on yoru test. We're building life skills and we're training people. Life doesn't stop at the test, it starts there. If test day is supposed to be the best day, then it's important to have a good review, or the day after test day will be the worst day.
Review days in class can be extremely helpful in helping students identify the critical information they need to know for their exam from all of the information we've been throwing at the for the past unit. Many of our students struggle finding that important information on their own. Main ideas, key concepts, trends, and other information is difficult to find if you don't know how.
Make it fun. Play a game. Resist the urge to just teach to your teacher made test. All of the information on that test is important, but not more important that teaching your students to go find and learn it rather than just memorizing the information that you put on yoru test. We're building life skills and we're training people. Life doesn't stop at the test, it starts there. If test day is supposed to be the best day, then it's important to have a good review, or the day after test day will be the worst day.
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