passing the test

My students had their first test today. 

I'm not a big fan of that test.  This is the first time that I've not had the freedom to design my own tests.  This year, all 7 biology teachers are giving common unit tests (something we seem to be moving toward in education).  The questions all came off of former EOC exams ... and some of them are just bad questions.  When 3 biology teachers with many years of combined teaching experience cannot even answer all of them with confidence (or agree on all of the answers) ... well, what do we think 10th graders with no real science background are gonna be able to do.

I made a review game with test questions (changing a word here and there) to try to at least expose them to the kinds of things they would be asked.  I tried to make sure we covered everything on the test.  I gave the pep talk about being good test takers.

And they took the test ... and I found myself wanting them sooooo badly to do well.  And some of them did ...  And I was excited. But a lot of them didn't.  Some of the ones I was really rooting for or thought would do really well just didn't.  And I was disappointed for them.  Yes, I believe their grades reflect on my skill as a teacher ... but, mostly, I want them to be successful and I want them to do well when they try hard and I want them to feel good about themselves.

And I stareted thinking that God must feel the same way about us ... cheering us on, trying to give us everything we need to make it (He did promise us everything we need for life and godliness, afterall), pulling for us, and wanting us to be successful even more than we do ourselves.  Those days when I fear I have disappointed Him, gonna have to remember that He wants me to get it, do it, succeed even more than I do!

Gotta get back to those tests ... for better or for worse.