I was told once by my Cooperative Teacher (CT) during student teaching that she often wrote the answers for certain students on tests. It wasn’t that she gave them the answer, but they dictated what they wanted to say. They struggled so much with hand-writing that in many cases the test became frustrating and overwhelming. It wasn’t because they didn’t know the answers, but because they couldn’t write fast or accurately enough to be understood.
My CT also told me that what she does is frowned upon. That the students are expected to be able to write their own answers. If it’s something they struggle with, though, why shouldn’t an accommodation of some kind be allowed? Unless it is a hand-writing test, writing the answers dictated by a struggling student shouldn’t be considered cheating. To really get a full understanding of a student’s comprehension level, there is only a need to hear their thoughts.
Continue reading “Diverse Teaching for a Diverse Classroom”
