I didn't have a formal interview with the teacher that I'm observing, but we did discuss how she assesses her students. She was currently in the process of preparing her classes for a state examination. That is the main assessment that she is pressed to prepare the students for every year. There are minor informal assessments that are administered daily, or semi-daily, but the main target is the state examination.
The main point that the teacher stressed was how much she disliked all of the emphasis on state examination prep. It handcuffed her in terms of what she wanted to accomplish and how to go about it. I've found this to be a common complaint with every teacher that I've observed so far. There needs to be less of an emphasis on state testing and prep. The teachers aren't being given enough freedom in the classroom.
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Could you share with us on how she prepares students on the test taking strategies in reading?
ReplyDeleteThe teacher stresses the importance looking back to the passage. A lot of her students have trouble recalling facts from the story after reading it, so she has the students read the question and refer to the story for answers.
ReplyDeleteIn preparation for the state examinations that are coming, the students have been reviewing old state examinations. The teacher has also been exposing them to realistic testing situations. They have been focusing on reading passages and answering questions in a timed environment. Even though they will get more time than the non-ELL students, she wants to experience some of the pressure now, so that it will become normal to them.