OK, so the end of the first semester is here, and jdson being in the first grade has led to some, well freaking out on the part of jdspouse and myself.
Just last week the boy got a zero, yes a big fat goose egg on a practice test, because “I didn’t read any of the questions. I just wrote down, 1,2,3 or A,B,C.”
gulp.
So we hit the books and talked with him about first reading, then thinking then writing the answer.
The result:
Two 99%!!!
Now, I’m one to say to other parents and teachers,“Getting a 100% in first gradeis not that hard, and in the long run, it doesn’t mean much,” but
My two got between 90 and 95 in all their semester tests(grades two and four), I write in English next to the score
“Fantastic result for a student who spoke not one word of Chinese 2 years ago”
We even had a 100% last year!
They usually miss marks on …not reading the instructions, like turn the page for the last question etc etc
My son’s got no stress at all, I always tell him do your best and the test isn’t what is important, so need to panic at all.
Results? he never had anything below 75%
I am proud of him.
I get students who get shouted at by their parents because their marks are only in the 80s and 90s. That didn’t make much sense to me until another boy bragged that he got 146% on his 6th grade English test. I must be a helluva teacher!
Well, to be fair to myself, I don’t really care that much about the tests. I was more concerned that the boy was going to feel he let us and himself down if he did poorly. Getting a poor test score can be a kick in the teeth in Taiwan.
Our students are also coming back and telling me they got 100% on their English tests. WTF did you expect huh!?!? You’ve been here for two years and they’re testing you on C_A_T
