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Re: Writing Tests, Lectures and Dealing with Students



-----Original Message-----
From: Steven T. Ratliff [mailto:STR@NWC.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 8:21 AM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Writing Tests, Lectures and Dealing with Students


One comment on something Tina said:
The test they just took, had a class average of 57%.
The short answer questions were all just regurgitation and THEY CAN"T
GET
THEM RIGHT!!!!

I think this is fairly common. I have low exam averages (60% or less)
in
my classes, and I think many others do as well.

Regards,
Steven Ratliff

I'm a second year high school physics teacher, and I've encountered a
similar but slightly different problem. I can present the same material

in the same way to three different classes, and while one class might
average 80% on the test, another might only average 60%... and for the
life of me I can't figure out what to do about it. I've tried mixing
things up and presenting the material in different ways to the classes
that aren't doing as well, but nothing I do seems to get them interested
or excited. I can plan an exciting lesson with tons of demos that gets
2nd hour jumping, but 7th will just sit there and try to sleep.

My chemistry classes are the same way. I have two sections of regular
chem, and one is full of fairly motivated students who try hard and do
well, while the other has mostly students with low motivation who just
won't participate or pay attention for anything. We require prelabs
before students are allowed to do a lab, and fully 2/3 of my low-
motivation class didn't bother to bring theirs to lab on Monday, while
every single student in the other class did. I just wish I knew what
to do with these kids.

Julie Montgomery