Tests. Tears. Assessment.

As a teacher the mantra goes "I teach therefore I test"...though sometimes I think it should be "I teach therefore I drink" lol

Every teacher one several occasions throughout the year tests. We create forms of assessment that we think suits the levels we taught at - yet sometimes you get complaints and even on rarer occasions...tears.

Last Friday I gave an exam that I felt sure my students would be able to think through and complete comfortably. We marked the exam right then and there in the classroom and it left the students unhappy and me literally horrified.

I pride myself in being a teacher that has my students best interest at heart. I only test what I teach and I gave adequate room during lessons for questions and a variety of examples. Yet for all so many of them failed the exam or barely passed that I could not help but question what went wrong during the teaching?

My feeling got even lower today as I saw one of the students this morning jst as I got in. I said, "Bee how you going love?"

"Miss I ok. Oh gosh Miss that test!"

"Don't worry I making sure to go through it in class on Wednesday. We will sort it out"

"Miss doh watch mih...I don't like to do bad"

"Don't worry we will fix dat."

The child was in tears. She didn't want me to look at her because she was so ashamed of her performance.

My heart dropped. I felt as if I had failed her. Sigh. I still am not sure how to fix it.

The joys of teaching come with alot of challenges.

Even after teaching the lessons, correcting the homework, answering questions during extra sessions...still. Tears can happen and you feel as if it had gone for naught.