What My 7th Grade History Teacher Taught Me
It set in motion a chain of events, which to this day, changed my course of life.
The 7th grade class at Pioneer Middle School in Steilacoom, Washington met for history. The first week, we had a chapter to read and questions to answer. Friday, a test was given to us and we all, every single one of us, bombed the test.
I hate tests. I dislike them for the pressure, the push, the rush, and the time frame. I think teaching for the test is wrong; from a young age, I have felt strongly negative about tests.
The instructor, on the fresh Monday morning, stood in front of the class and looked at us. We were quiet. I was really quiet anyhow, however, I was feeling uncomfortable. Something about the ‘look’ he was giving us made me feel we had done something REALLY wrong. It was the father’s look, the one you don’t want to ever, ever get.
He then said, “We are doing something different. For the next three weeks you are going to learn how to study and how to take a test. We learned how to study.
He made study guides for us.
He went over them at the start of class.
Taught the material and had us fill in the details on the study guide.
