Wednesday 16 January 2013

learning from exams

I've been exam invigilating this week. I have no idea how much the children have prepared or learnt, but I have learnt several things....

When I child puts up its hand and asks for something it is a Very Good Idea to make a mental note of their seat number. You think you will remember who they are, but in a room of 120 children, none of whom you know, in fact there is no chance you will. They all wear navy blue..... All the girls have long hair.

The most frequent initial of children in a maths exam will be J. There were 3 Jordans, and Jamie, James, Jack, Jake, Joshua and Jason. There was also Janice, Julie, Jennifer, Jane, and Jemma.

If it is a maths exam there is a 78% chance that the child won't have all the equipment it needs. Even though they have been told what to bring. The maths department will leave you a box with a few rulers, 2 calculators, no compasses, one rubber and one protractor. Thankfully the office will give you pens and pencils. 

If there are 100 children then it is highly probable that at least 7 won't even have brought a pen........

Once you have given out the only rubber the only thing left to do is hand out pencils with rubbers on the end. You know the ones, that just make a smudgy mess of what you are trying to rub out. And then make sure you never catch that child's eye again. They will rubbed a hole in their paper trying to rub out whatever mistake they made.....

Art teachers are the most likely candidates for having sugar in their classrooms. This is very useful to know when you are in an exam in a remote corner of campus and the art classrooms are the only ones nearby.  Most children who put their hands up want a ruler or a new pen.  A girl today said "Miss, can I go out and get some sugar, I'm diabetic and I'm having a hypo." 

My favourite moment from the week so far?
"Please Miss, can I borrow one of those round things?"

21 comments:

  1. Oh, how I loved reading this! Having been a teacher for a long time, I am tickled! Thanks.

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  2. Just love it! It took me way back (no not as far as that) to when I was in school! I can understand what you mean about the pencils with rubbers on the end! Thanks for this.....memories! Joan

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  3. excellent, some things never change then :-)

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  4. You really made me laugh. Laughing has cracked my frozen face. Just in from school drop off and it is -6 ° in Cambridge. Happy frosty days, Ax

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  5. I have a great laugh reading this post.
    Anne xx

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  6. Great post, being a teacher I can understand everything! all faces do blur into each other when there are so many of them! Hope you are keeping warm sweetie!

    Bee happy x

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    1. they really do all look them same. it is quite worrying...... it was freezing in the exam hall yesterday, it wouldn't have been appropriate to do star jumps to get warm, but I was tempted.....

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  7. Oh, that post took me back. I once almost got asked to leave an exam by the fierce invigilator - I had dreadful hiccups. But the fear and panic caused by him trying to eject me cured them!

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    1. that's mean. I would have got you a glass of water. We did have to wake up a boy though. His snoring was disturbing the other students!

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  8. Ha! I fear No2 may well be one of the ones sans pen, despite my constant nagging...

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  9. Haha -- sounds like you're having a fun week. And thanks -- I learned a new word -- invigilator is not used in these parts!

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  10. So funny! I enjoyed this entertaining post very much!!
    Helen x

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  11. I always wondered what the invigilators were thinking about during the looong exams....now I know!

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    1. we also think about cups of tea. a lot.........

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  12. How nice for the children that you were in charge. You did bring back horrible memories of all my own past exams though.

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  13. Ooh, I needed that giggle! But as an ex-art teacher I can't honestly say I never used to have much sugar around, plenty of salt though!

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  14. Yes, I second Coffee Lady - what round things?

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  15. I enjoyed reading your post and took me back all those years ago - it was a nerve-racking time sitting exams.
    Happy weekend
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  16. Haha. Did you do your knitting to occupy yourself?

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  17. It sounds like a very entertaining few hours. - Annie

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