As a student, if there was one thing that I have least enjoyed through the years of education that I had to go through, it would definitely be the quizzes, exams, and tests.
It didn’t matter if I was prepared. It didn’t matter if I were to take it as a written exam–sit for long hours, scribbling dutifully away, or if it were oral–perspiring as I tried to think of an answer to the professor’s question while also thinking about what he may ask next, and what response to that I would give as well.
There is something about traditional assessments that make my palms and bum sweaty. It is a high stakes game, that absolute no one, not a single soul enjoys.
I would guess that teachers conducting oral exams do not enjoy seeing their students squirm under their assessing gazes–that is of course unless they do, and therefore is a madman in sheep’s clothing. My guess as a student is as good as a next person (who isn’t a teacher), that teachers only create assessments because it is mandatory.
However, when I became a teacher myself (I know, how ironic), I realized that although I hated giving exams, I had to assess their learning somehow. It was a compulsion. Their learning measured how well I was doing my job, and therefore, their performance had a direct influence on my well-being, confidence, and dare I say, paycheck.
Not only were assesments mandatory, but they were also high stakes for a teacher! A university professor’s passing rate would indicate whether or not they had a job to go back to the following semester. It is a fallacy to claim that you are the BEST kind of teacher, the most TERROR kind, that more than half of your students FAIL. I mean, what kind of a teacher are you then if you have failed to teach them something?
As an educator now, I think that maybe we could ease the burden on both teachers and students by focusing on what’s important. As cheesy as it may sound, that’s learning.
I don’t care if you don’t know where x is, but if Maria had bought 10 apples and you need 6, you better know how much is left in the pantry, Diego!
The application of their learning is my first and foremost goal. To know if they can apply it, I must first assess whether they understood what I had just said, whether they can relate it to their lives, and then create a fancy activity that would allow me to see just how much they could demonstrate that learning.
After doing that, I will hope with every sweat and tear, that my students have learned enough to get a good rating on their college entrance exams. These smarts would show in their interviews and essays either way!
Professional Teaching Course 