Final Exam Answers

The first week of December marked the end of the first term of Life Skills for my Form 1 (9^th grade) and Form 3 (11^th grade) students.  It also marked the end of my first EVER term as a teacher.  I prepared the final exams (even as my computer burned out and several projects picked up during the same week) and hoped for the best.  What I got was…something else.  Let’s just say, there was a bell curve (so that must mean my teaching is actually pretty spot on, right?) however, those who scored low, scored very low.  Let’s take a look at their answers, shall we?  Keep in mind, this is Life Skills - basically a mandatory health class that all students must take in order to receive their certificate from secondary school.  It is taught in English (not the students’ first language) and the exam is in the form of multiple choice, short answers and essays.

1.  I don’t remember the questions that went along with these answers, but these are the points that students made.

“Smoking causes a disease called blindness”

“Young people are drinking because they want the removal of shyness”

2.  Describe a moral dilemma in your community

“Favoritism is a moral dilemma in the community, for instance our parents love the girls so they buy them clothes”

“Maybe someone wants to destroy property.  He can get drunk so he has an excuse”

3.  List emotional/mental changes that happen during puberty:

“Boys sperm production will reduce when you live together and girls you feeling this.”

“Boys are discussing girls and girls are discussing boys.”

4.  List two characteristics of someone with high self-esteem:

“Supply and demand”

“Sexual intercourse and smoking/drinking”

5.  List a disadvantage of self esteem:

“Everybody hates you”

6.  List physical changes for males and females during puberty:

“Hair around in the ground”

7.  List two democratic values:

“hunger and thirst”

On top of these answers that were provided, some students chose to circle several of the options for a multiple choice question.  They kindly put the word “or” in between their selection so that I knew they were trying to get the right answer, if only they could call a friend.  Also, I had two boys hand in identical exams – verbatim!  And they chose to hand in their exams together so I knew right away that they had cheated.  If there were other exams in-between the two, I may not have noticed.

 

Oh the joys of teaching!