CST Prep

With the science CST sections coming up in about a week, we are currently looking at different ways to solidify the students’ understandings of the information covered over this school year. Although I believe that there is a definite need for some sort of standardized way of evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, I am not sure this is the best method. Whenever told about an upcoming state mandated test, it seems that the first question asked by the students is whether it will count toward their grades. Each teacher understands what the students are really asking, “Do I really have to try on this test?”  This is a dilemma that is faced every year as teachers try to impart upon their students the importance of a test that has no immediate affect on their lives. To try and get students to “do their best” without a reward for doing well, or a negative impact for doing poorly is simply not effective.

      In an effort to help students demonstrate their abilities and reinforce content understandings attained throughout the year, we are looking to have an extra credit review session. This will benefit both the students and the school, as they should be better prepared for the CSTs and allow them to gain extra credit to positively affect their own grades. Even with such an incentive, many students still will not take part in the session.  That being said, I am looking for additional ways to better solidify understandings late in the school year. I want to reinforce key concepts not just for the sake of higher achievement on the CSTs, but for the true reason for their learning, to help them commit key concepts to their long-term memory. I predict that I will be wrestling with this dilemma each year around this time throughout my future teaching career.