IB exams 2017
IB exams 2017
If you taught seniors this past year, how stressed are you about your students performance on the IB final exams? Do their parents ever blame you for not preparing their kids enough, especially when they feel the papers were 'difficult' than previous years?
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Thames Pirate
- Posts: 1151
- Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:06 am
Re: IB exams 2017
I did not teach seniors this year, but we had a case where a parent flipped out and sent a nasty email to all her daughter's teachers EXCEPT the physics teacher about the physics exam last year. From what I understand, last year's physics exam did not follow the IB syllabus and the IB took a lot of heat for it. The parents were (understandably) upset that their kid had worked hard only to be made to feel inadequate at the exam. So was the physics teacher, who had a track record of preparing kids well and had apparently predicted good scores for this particular student.
I think the stress and frustration is understandable, but coming after staff who didn't even teach the daughter or taught her literature or econ was completely uncalled for. Thankfully, the admin agreed, asking us all to delete the email and handling it themselves.
It happens, but hopefully not often and hopefully not this year!
I think the stress and frustration is understandable, but coming after staff who didn't even teach the daughter or taught her literature or econ was completely uncalled for. Thankfully, the admin agreed, asking us all to delete the email and handling it themselves.
It happens, but hopefully not often and hopefully not this year!
Response
@Thames Pirate
Id have kept the email.
@fine dude
Ive seen parents blame the ITs, the IS, and everyone except their child, or the child only gets minimal blame, Ive seen it the other way as well, wheere everything was heaped on the student and there was some faculty blame as well. It tends to be rare though. Many parents will blame and IS or IT, but they generally dont do it openly. Its something parents talk among themselves over.
The biggest problem, is admits in the first place. Parents have unrealistic expectations and they students get pushed into DIP who arent really prepared for it and there isnt time to catch up.
Id have kept the email.
@fine dude
Ive seen parents blame the ITs, the IS, and everyone except their child, or the child only gets minimal blame, Ive seen it the other way as well, wheere everything was heaped on the student and there was some faculty blame as well. It tends to be rare though. Many parents will blame and IS or IT, but they generally dont do it openly. Its something parents talk among themselves over.
The biggest problem, is admits in the first place. Parents have unrealistic expectations and they students get pushed into DIP who arent really prepared for it and there isnt time to catch up.
Re: IB exams 2017
If you're teaching a superstar student that gets 44 points because they got a 6 in your class, then yup, it may draw attention from parents, head of department, and admin. Last year in my HL class I taught the student council president, a House Captain, and a gifted student. I was under some stress as I felt that they if any of them got a 5, then it wouldn't reflect well on me (because it's all about me).
On the flip side try to ensure your weakest students don't get a 3. If they fail IB with 23 points and they got a 3 in your class, then yeah, people will notice that too.
In terms of managing expectations, don't grade prelim exams generously. If in doubt, mark them down. Make sure they have past papers and past student responses that gained top scores. Provide study strategies. Anyway, for the month before exams many of them are stressed out zombies. As much as "preparing" them I'm giving impromptu pep talks and amateurish counseling.
On the flip side try to ensure your weakest students don't get a 3. If they fail IB with 23 points and they got a 3 in your class, then yeah, people will notice that too.
In terms of managing expectations, don't grade prelim exams generously. If in doubt, mark them down. Make sure they have past papers and past student responses that gained top scores. Provide study strategies. Anyway, for the month before exams many of them are stressed out zombies. As much as "preparing" them I'm giving impromptu pep talks and amateurish counseling.
Comment
Agree with @seansmith , mark their prelims hard. One factor is young IB ITs who dont want to lower their students confidence so they mark their prelims lite. Its a big mistake when they dont get the score they wanted/predicted, and then it comes back to you and your exam prep plan.