The best test I was given was in the third grade by a substitute teacher, her name was Mrs. Fruendlich. I do remember and this is why.
She gave us a test with 100 multiple choice questions. She told us that we had 3 minutes to finish the test but we were to read the whole test before we answered any questions. We all panicked and started scribbling away our answers and then she called time before we were done, lots of groans. Only a few were reading but the over achievers did not listen. She then told us all to read the last question.
It said this test was to see how well you listen and look around at your surroundings. Those of you that did not listen fail the rest of you that waited pass.
It was a great lesson to me to always look and listen before you attempt to do anything you never know what you will find.
The next year she was my classroom teacher. I loved that year, she taught us more than just schoolwork.
That reminds my of why I almost never bother to stop students who are cheating. They almost invariably cheat off someone who knows even less than they do.
It also brings to mind a test I sometimes give when I have a class that doesn't listen. I ask them to take out a sheet of paper and fold it half vertically and then again horizontally (I do it with them to make sure they can't possibly miss it). Then I ask them to open it up and PRINT their first name in the top left box, their last name in the top right box, and their class in the lower left box. Then I tell them to sign their name in the remaining box and hand it all in.
If they get it all right, they get 100%, and if they get it wrong they get no score at all. Generally, about 25% pass.
Try it if you don't believe me.
Students need to be taught observation skills early on. It's amazing how many students do not at the surroundings.
Next September I might try putting up a sign on my bulletin board. Anyone who follows what it says will get a prize.
Bet no one wins!
This isn't a lesson help line but I used to give an observation lesson by asking the kids questions like 'how many doors were there in their home?' 'How many stop lights do they pass on the way to school?' How many windows in the gym'? Stuff like that. Then I'd send them to find the answers and match with their recollections.
I totally agree that students need to be taught observation skills. Earlier this week, I asked my students to tell me what really worked for the school year, what was difficult, what they'd change, etc.
One student said, "The unit outlines were great, but I hated the essential questions." I wasn't sure where to start with that one. The unit outline...well it outlines the unit - what they're expected to know, understand, and be able to do at the end of the unit. If they'd ever really bothered to read the unit outline, they might have noticed that what they were being asked to "understand" often tied directly to their essential questions. In fact, it was a one sentence summary of what I wanted them to learn, and ideally they'd take that and write wonderful, amazing answers to their essential questions.
When I told the student that I wasn't sure she'd read all of the unit outline, she wanted to know how I knew. Once I explained the whole essential question/understanding business, no fewer than 10 kids immediately pulled out their notebooks to see if I was lying. It was one of those moments I wished I'd had a video camera.
One time I put two equations on the board.
y = 2x + 3
y = 2x + 3
and I asked, "if you have the same slope and the same y-intercept, what does that mean about the line you have?"
Blank stares.
"OK can someone tell me something about these two equations?"
Blank stares.
In other words, I completely understand this one, though frankly, your stories were definitely more hilarious.
I often 'hide' the answers to quiz questions within the other questions. For example, I might have this near the beginning of a quiz:
Which group of Native Americans are known for walking the 'Trail of Tears'?
And perhaps this one near the end:
Why were the Cherokee forced to walk the Trail of Tears?
Very few students recognize and use these hints. At one point when I handed back a set of graded quizes I pointed out all of the places I had done this. It didn't seem to make a difference on the next quiz.
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