BG1, Novice, 11th Grade, Chemistry
Conversation with Observer (Excerpt)
As they planned, Corey’s observer stops by his classroom three days before the first day of school. Corey, assigned to teach 11th grade science, is sitting on the floor in a classroom piled with boxes. He is making a poster that reads “80% of us will take the AP Chemistry Exam at the end of the year and score a 3!”
After a little small talk about the end of summer and Corey’s new apartment, his observer asks about the poster.
Corey: This is my big goal. I’m going to post this on the wall to help us focus on it all year.
OBSERVER: Tell me about how you came up with your goal.
Corey: Well, I thought about it a lot and did some research. I know that my students are probably going to be really behind and that most of them don’t go to college. And my principal told me that last year only two kids from our school took the AP Chemistry exam. I talked to Mr. Smith next door, and he said that generally the students who take chemistry are fairly advanced students so I see no reason why I wouldn’t be able to get most of them to and score a three. I’m aiming for a three, since a three is usually enough to get college credit.
OBSERVER: How did you choose 80%?
Corey: I’m trying to be realistic. It doesn’t seem realistic that I could get all of my students to score a three, but I should be able to get a good solid majority and 80% seems to be the most commonly accepted number.
OBSERVER: Why do you think it’s unrealistic to get all of your students to score at least a three?
Corey: I’m just really worried about setting my students up for failure. That’s what happened this summer at institute. I set a really big goal about how many objectives they would master during summer school. I even drove my car to school instead of taking the bus, so I could get there early and tutor students. Students were really excited and motivated. But in the end, most of them still failed the exam. I just don’t want to set a goal that’s too high.
OBSERVER: We should definitely talk more about that. I’m concerned that it sends the message to students that 20% won’t score at least a three. But before we dive into that, let’s switch gears for a moment. Can you tell me a bit about how your goal aligns to your state’s standards?
Corey: [Sighs]. Well, to tell you the truth, I haven’t really spent a ton of time looking through all the standards yet. I just haven’t really had time with everything else going on and that’s part of why I chose this goal—because, from what I can tell, the AP test covers a lot of the standards and essential topics, and this way, if they are taking the test, my students have to learn the most important content.
OBSERVER: And have you gone over the specific content of the test?
Corey: Well, I’ve looked over a few tests if that’s what you mean. And the tests are a good guide for me about what’s important. It’ll definitely guide what I teach this year. I’ll use the test and the textbook. Between those two things I think I’ll have the guidance I need for content.
OBSERVER: Okay. There is a lot for us to discuss here starting with the goal itself and including the goal’s relationship to the standards. I think there are some adjustments we could make that would dramatically impact the effectiveness of your goal.