|
I marked my Year 10 History Viking short answer exams this week and I am shocked at the results. The results are really quite atrocious. Out of the entire class of 26 students only 7 students passed. Let me contextualise the situation and have a seat because you will probably need it. .... I told the class what the question topics on the exam were going to be. That's right. 20 multiple choice and 3 short answer questions and each student knew what to study. My initial reaction was one of confusion. I thought there had to be a mistake. Then, to make matters worse, when I spoke to the other Year 10 History teachers I found that in one class no one failed and in the other only 1 student failed. Obviously it was my fault. At the end of the school year I normally hand out review/feedback sheets. This week I brought that activity forward. I set out a series of questions about the exam itself, the subject, my teaching and their preparation. The results were a little confusing. They like the subject. They are little bored. They, in equal numbers, want more powerpoints and movies and less powerpoints and movies. Most admitted to not studying at all. Most wanted to make viking shields and play viking games (something another class was doing) which had no link content wise to the test. I think the class just lacked motivation to study. I think the interest in Vikings is there (We had some great class discussions about various aspects of Viking history) but the motivation to study is not. Unless the content is explicitly taught, and pointed out to them to be exam content, the knowledge goes in one ear and out the other. So, next unit I am going to add more knowledge checks. Weekly quizzes and recaps will added to the class activity list. Creation of study notes either by me or them will also have to be done. It is tough but I am also going to have to become more of an entertainer and motivator, something I never thought I would have to be as a teacher. My main skill is breaking a task down and helping students understand. I thought that was pretty much all I needed. How wrong I have been.
 |
