On Thursday, I got a call from a director at CBC Radio Active, a local drive home show. He was well prepared, and had clearly read every word on assessment on this blog. He invited me to appear on the show yesterday for 7 to 10 minutes.
I was nervous, so I prepared 4 pages of key talking points, just in case my mind went blank. During the interview, I got through only about a tenth of the things I wanted to say. I felt like I was speaking too fast and not getting my point across. Nervously, I listened to the interview this morning. It’s not as bad as I thought. You can listen to it by clicking on the CBC logo below.
Nice interview, John. I can relate being in a different place now than when I began teaching. I, too, gave zeroes and have come to understand why I wouldn’t want to do that anymore. It is a journey that many educators take and it is not black and white. It is also extremely challenging to separate assessment of curricular objectives from work habits, work ethic, etc.
It is difficult for many people, especially those that haven’t wrestled with these issues, to understand how complex assessment issues are and that there is no silver bullet. It is easier for teachers to give zeroes; it is easier for students to take zeroes; it is much harder for teachers to hold students accountable for their own learning when ‘giving 0s’ is not an option.
I hope that the public gets a chance to hear stories about teachers who go above and beyond to help students learn and that students share their experiences too. As a consultant in our school district, I see this happening across our city every day.