By Jon Alfuth In my sophomore year of high school, my AP European History teacher gave us a test on ancient Rome in week two of the course. The problem? We hadn’t learned anything about Roman history! To this day I still don’t understand her decision, but the experience left me with a strong distaste […]
assessments
The Necessity of Failure: The Challenge of Assessments
I have just finished grading final exams for high school sophomores, and I can’t help but wonder if I am guilty of cheating. Balancing high standards with opportunities for retakes shapes my approach to developing assessments. In my view, a student who fails one section of multiple choice should have the opportunity to write more […]
After the Assessments
Assessment time is stressful for teachers and students, but it is a necessary evil. We need to understand how our students are performing. Professionals are given evaluations at work, companies ask for feedback or send surveys about their product and customer relations, and managers assess employees. You cannot escape assessment. In education we are required […]
The State of The Classroom: Reflecting On This Year
“Let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind,” President Obama urged Americans in his State of the Union address Feb. 12, 2013. Each year our politicians take time to reflect on progress, change, and evaluate what needs to happen for America to grow and thrive. […]
Charter School Diaries 3 – Keeping It Real
Last week, our students took their midterm exams. On midterm exam week, high school students in our district receive a half-day week so that teachers can input grades, so that students can get more studying in (it is debatable as to whether or not they devote their time off to quality studying time, but I […]