more on SAT crap
I should mention something, especially given that several students have already messaged me regarding my past bulletin about the SAT subject test.
Today was my students' first attempt at real SAT questions. They are pretty difficult world history questions. The reality is that many of the students did reasonably well for a first try.
I went in this year thinking my students would take the AP World History test, but for a variety of reasons, they are taking the SAT Subject Test, instead. It's basically like the MC section of the AP World History test. While they have become really good writers (in my opinion), it is of relatively little use for the SAT test.
So, yesterday was really the first day I presented MC test-taking strategies to the students. It takes lots! of practice to master those strategies. So, hopefully, given that we will continue to practice those strategies on SAT questions over the next few weeks, students will get better at answering the questions.
(In future years, of course, I will do this much earlier -- now that I've learned an important lesson.)
The problem now is mastering the kinds of questions. The reality is that many students know the information... it's just the funky question wording that is throwing them off. It will take time, but I am confident they can do it.
Today was my students' first attempt at real SAT questions. They are pretty difficult world history questions. The reality is that many of the students did reasonably well for a first try.
I went in this year thinking my students would take the AP World History test, but for a variety of reasons, they are taking the SAT Subject Test, instead. It's basically like the MC section of the AP World History test. While they have become really good writers (in my opinion), it is of relatively little use for the SAT test.
So, yesterday was really the first day I presented MC test-taking strategies to the students. It takes lots! of practice to master those strategies. So, hopefully, given that we will continue to practice those strategies on SAT questions over the next few weeks, students will get better at answering the questions.
(In future years, of course, I will do this much earlier -- now that I've learned an important lesson.)
The problem now is mastering the kinds of questions. The reality is that many students know the information... it's just the funky question wording that is throwing them off. It will take time, but I am confident they can do it.