The third biology test for this 2nd quarter has been graded and the grades were very disappointing and, for a teacher, very frustrating. This unit, as one parent pointed out, covered only 3 pages in the text book!  To supplement these pages the students had multiple review sheets with diagrams over the same material, they made their own vocabulary list from the unit, they had a crossword puzzle that reviewed all the vocabulary terms, they saw 2 simple video lessons on the topic, they took a practice quiz to give them a read on whether they knew the topics or not, and most of them did a lab with carrot sticks that reinforced the major concepts of passive and active transport.  In addition, they knew about the test dates a week prior to the test.

YET … when many of the students walked into my classroom the comments were ,”We have a test today??? What’s it on?”  

My only comfort is that this is not unique to my classroom … most of the teachers hear this all of the time and just shake their head in sadness and agreement when I ask rhetorically … “How can this be?”  So many of my students are failing and others are very near failing! 

I ask myself … What else can I do if the students are SO distracted with other parts of life that the importance of their academic career and success falls must fall so low on their list of priorities of life?  

… to be continued.