Here’s the calendar for September and October 2009 in US History 2. I debated having tests every two weeks instead of one test a week and decided that it would be best to measure students different ways in shorter bursts. I also wanted quizzes to be more frequent so that students would be able to accumulate a diversity of scores in a two month period. We’ll also have weekly homework assignments as well as online work and projects. I didn’t put these on the calendar because of a lack of space, but I will include these on my classroom blackboard calendar.
For me as a teacher, I want the tests and quizzes to reflect a combination of knowledge, understanding and action. Students should be able to demonstrate that they know the content, understand its relevance, and can act on their learning. This is the purpose of tests and quizzes, not simply to gather grades or prove that students don’t know all of the material. My grades also reflect a standards-based approach to learning, not one based on a one-time-only grade that becomes a statistical barrier to individual motivation and self-directed improvement. It’s something that I really believe strongly in: what matters most is learning, not grades. They are only a means to that end.
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