Today in all my classes I gave a Term Pre-Test. The students take this test (the exact same test) once at the beginning of the term and once at the end to see how much they've learned. It being my first test at this new school I have to say today had some fun/sneaky surprises for me!
My P1s were my first class. I gave them some rules about not talking and not looking at their partner's paper, explained how to shade in the little squares, had my TA translate everything to make sure they understood and then we were off! Little did I realize as I was handing out the tests that these tests pretty much mark the first test these students have ever taken. I mean, like, ever. Which, if I had actually stopped to think about it before I went into the classroom makes sense. They wouldn't have taken tests in Kindergarten* and its the beginning of the school year. I mean, we haven't even had a full week of school yet so its a bit early for tests. Of course, as it happens, I didn't stop to think about it before I went to class this morning so my first period was both baffling and frustrating. In retrospect I think its kind of cool that I got to give them their first ever test, but at the time the frustration of kids saying "said lao, said lao" (finished, finished) when they'd only completed the first page of a six page test was overpowering any magic the moment might have held.
So with my P1s I struggled a bit. I mean, it being their first test and everything I pretty much completely lost the battles of no talking and no cheating because my TA and I were running around the classroom trying to teach kids how to take their first test, but it just means there's lots of room to grow, right?!
My P2s were much better. They were quiet and they didn't really need additional instructions. A few students, specifically some of the smarter ones, got a big hung up when they didn't understand the question being asked. For example, a few questions ask you to identify the adjective and since we haven't learned what an adjective is yet they obviously had no idea what the question was even asking. Eventually I asked my TA to translate the word adjective for them but I even had to help her to define it (I mean, she knows what adjectives are - once I gave her examples she understood, but she didn't know what the word "adjective" meant). Overall though that was a good class.
My P3s were the little angels they always are.* The magical moment with them happened after they finished. The P3 test seemed to be pretty easy for some of the students and many finished with a good 15 minutes left in class. Now, any teacher knows that 15 minutes of quiet time can be difficult for students when there isn't anything to do so for all of 10 seconds I was really worried. Then they start pulling out their books and workbooks and just reading them. I'm serious. I didn't suggest it, I didn't have to tell them to find something quiet to do, all on their own they pulled out their books and entertained themselves. Some of the girls pulled out their workbooks and some colored pencils and started coloring in the pictures while most of the boys seemed to be looking through the book - some of them even stopping to practice reading certain pages. I was amazed. I mean, would I have done that as a child? Yes, probably. But that never happened in Chaiyaphum (not that I expected it to) and frankly I was a quiet goody-two-shoes child anyway so I'm not sure I'm the standard. But these kids, man oh man, I don't know how I got so lucky.
Anyway, I hope ever testing day goes like today's did - I might stop hating giving out tests so much!
*People don't actually give tests to Kindergartners right? I mean, I know they don't here, but in other places? I certainly hope not anyway...
*I feel like I'm going to jinx my P3s behavior and intelligence magic if I keep saying things like this. I mean, they can't actually always be good, right? At some point they'll realize they don't have to be perfect all the time and all hell will probably break loose... Yup, I'm definitely jinxing it.
My P1s were my first class. I gave them some rules about not talking and not looking at their partner's paper, explained how to shade in the little squares, had my TA translate everything to make sure they understood and then we were off! Little did I realize as I was handing out the tests that these tests pretty much mark the first test these students have ever taken. I mean, like, ever. Which, if I had actually stopped to think about it before I went into the classroom makes sense. They wouldn't have taken tests in Kindergarten* and its the beginning of the school year. I mean, we haven't even had a full week of school yet so its a bit early for tests. Of course, as it happens, I didn't stop to think about it before I went to class this morning so my first period was both baffling and frustrating. In retrospect I think its kind of cool that I got to give them their first ever test, but at the time the frustration of kids saying "said lao, said lao" (finished, finished) when they'd only completed the first page of a six page test was overpowering any magic the moment might have held.
So with my P1s I struggled a bit. I mean, it being their first test and everything I pretty much completely lost the battles of no talking and no cheating because my TA and I were running around the classroom trying to teach kids how to take their first test, but it just means there's lots of room to grow, right?!
My P2s were much better. They were quiet and they didn't really need additional instructions. A few students, specifically some of the smarter ones, got a big hung up when they didn't understand the question being asked. For example, a few questions ask you to identify the adjective and since we haven't learned what an adjective is yet they obviously had no idea what the question was even asking. Eventually I asked my TA to translate the word adjective for them but I even had to help her to define it (I mean, she knows what adjectives are - once I gave her examples she understood, but she didn't know what the word "adjective" meant). Overall though that was a good class.
My P3s were the little angels they always are.* The magical moment with them happened after they finished. The P3 test seemed to be pretty easy for some of the students and many finished with a good 15 minutes left in class. Now, any teacher knows that 15 minutes of quiet time can be difficult for students when there isn't anything to do so for all of 10 seconds I was really worried. Then they start pulling out their books and workbooks and just reading them. I'm serious. I didn't suggest it, I didn't have to tell them to find something quiet to do, all on their own they pulled out their books and entertained themselves. Some of the girls pulled out their workbooks and some colored pencils and started coloring in the pictures while most of the boys seemed to be looking through the book - some of them even stopping to practice reading certain pages. I was amazed. I mean, would I have done that as a child? Yes, probably. But that never happened in Chaiyaphum (not that I expected it to) and frankly I was a quiet goody-two-shoes child anyway so I'm not sure I'm the standard. But these kids, man oh man, I don't know how I got so lucky.
Anyway, I hope ever testing day goes like today's did - I might stop hating giving out tests so much!
*People don't actually give tests to Kindergartners right? I mean, I know they don't here, but in other places? I certainly hope not anyway...
*I feel like I'm going to jinx my P3s behavior and intelligence magic if I keep saying things like this. I mean, they can't actually always be good, right? At some point they'll realize they don't have to be perfect all the time and all hell will probably break loose... Yup, I'm definitely jinxing it.
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