Posted on 08/10/2018 10:54:03 AM PDT by Libloather
CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Some North Carolina elementary school teachers were initially told they would lose their jobs if they didn't pass a Math test they call difficult and unfair.
Teachers say they recently got a call from their school district informing them they have another year to pass the test. Hundreds of teachers have failed the test repeatedly. Teachers argue what's on the test has nothing to do with what they teach in a classroom for students in Kindergarten to 5th grade.
"Never in a million years would we even come close to teaching some of the topics on this test," veteran CMS teacher Krista Ricks said.
(Excerpt) Read more at m.wbtv.com ...
I love Math. Took Calculus II as an easy elective.
Language....that was another story! I picked my major cuz it didn’t have a 2nd language requirement.
Homeschooled my kids in Kumon Math. (My dad homeschooled me in Math. I loved our time together.) Used Hands on Algebra when they were in the third grade. It was amazing to see they understood the concepts! Also homeschooled them in US history.
My kids learning English, I was at the mercy of the teachers! Did take them to the library every week. LOL.
I’m a left-brainer.
https://www.mindmotivations.com/resources/free/rightleft-brain-test
Usually counter but she can go either way with me so maybe I’m BI?!
The majority probably got that one but I wouldn’t bet much on it. Those using advanced mathematical operations are a horse of a different color. You think they could calculate a square root of a number greater than 4?
What schools achieve levels of math achievement that you believe to be true?
I would not allow my sons to use calculators even though they could at school. A micro-revolt.
It is the teacher license test offered by Educational Testing Services. NC used it before switching to Pearson’s test a couple of years ago.
We had a math certification test, that I passed easily, but I would say that the questions on this test were more difficult than my certificate test (in other words, they were easier in my district that in this district). But I would say that a math teacher should be able to understand and perform at the level of this test.
I actually liked the teacher candidates being graded on whether they could understand a students problem submission and how to approach a criticism of the student’s work.
Both the candidate’s overall math knowledge of the objectives tested in this exam and the teaching approach would be good guide to the hiring of a math teacher.
I did not look into what a satisfactory score would be as I believe one who wants to teach math should score very high on this type of test. However as a comparison between candidates it would be very useful.
Search engine not working?
A set of tests that measure the academic skills and subject-specific content knowledge needed for teaching....
You are the exception.
But I sense something of vital importance to education- Love.
There is little to be found in school of 5,000 where the teachers are afraid of courts, lawyers and the students.
God forbid you hug a kid for a good job as you could and often did I am sure.
The biggest problem I always had with math is that most teachers try to teach it like you already know it.
Trust me, there is nothing worse than being left behind because you just didn’t get ONE STEP in the problem, and the teacher wouldn’t go back to explain that simple step to you, even when asked.
Took me until my late 20’s to get a good handle on higher maths, and that was only because I hired my own tutor to explain the steps and reasons to me.
I am (unfortunately) one of those people who requires an explanation of WHY something is done “that way, instead of some other way”.
Once my tutor explained WHY, I caught on quickly and understood perfectly.
There are teachers like the one you describe. At the point that you learned that the teacher would set your son back in his math education you should have taken steps (I suspect that you did because he went on to do well). One bad teacher can hurt the kid’s interest in going to take the next course. But in the long run, if the kid keeps plugging away, they will overcome a bad teacher by having good teachers in the subsequent years.
I used to work with my son nightly on his math. It was a requirement from me that he go as far as high school calculas and he did. He went on to take college business calculas and said it was a breeze after his HS experience. That is what you want from HS. Setting the groundwork, and teachers like the one your son had would not make it through this exam.
“What schools achieve levels of math achievement that you believe to be true?”
We are talking about college-bound students!
“I would not allow my sons to use calculators even though they could at school. A micro-revolt.”
Sad.
Amazingly light sand on that beach.
How did you do in the test?....:^)
I didn’t take this one but passed CA certification test back in 2004.
Exactly, but are they the right questions for an English or a History teacher as examples?
As I read the original article it seems like this math test was for all elementary school teachers.
“But I sense something of vital importance to education- Love.”
You nailed it and than some.
When I screwed up and got lazy on a 4th grade Geography project, the teacher called my Grandma!!! Getting reamed out by your Grandmother when your 9 is a major motivator!
My mom was a pre-school reading teacher. The school board said switch to sight reading, she dug in her heels and said NO. Til this day her ex-students still greet her when they see her out in public.
She came out here to D.C. a few Christmases ago and wanted to go to the mall the day before. (UGH) Figured it take a half hour. You would have thought Mrs. Claus was there! She’s a little kid magnet!!!! It was a HOOT! Spent 3 hours there. Great Christmas!
BS? Have you looked at the typical questions? Seriously, I was able to work them ‘in my head’, not need for pen and paper.
I am a teacher & this is beyond humiliating.
in which of several ways?
This doesn’t reach SAT math. For most of it, I recall hitting it in Jr. High. Some of it is mere logic, and not really “maths”.
Actually, I am in favor of all teachers being able to do this level of math, but the ones who are tasked with teaching it need to also understand why the solutions to the problems work.
So I would favot the second section of the test where identifying the student’s mistakes and showing why they do not work is part of the math teachers requirement. I would not require English teachers or reading teachers to take the student problems, but English and Reading teachers would need to be profecient in understanding and teaching these other subjects.
I don’t know how the test was used in the district, if they require all teachers to be proficient in math, then all teachers should teach math each day. Maybe that is the job of elementary teachers in this district, but these were not elementary student math problems.
Search engine works.
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