The stress that standardized tests put on teachers is very stressful. Yes, they are stressful on students, but people do not think about the teacher’s thoughts on these standardized tests. All these tests that students are constantly complaining about not only affects them.
“”It depends on how many times students are tested. I believe students must be tested to know our students’ abilities and achievement levels, however testing our students more than twice a year is only putting stress on both students and teachers,” teacher assistant, Safa Aljabaly expressed.
Standardized tests take time out of classes and testing can last from days to months. This interrupts the teaching time and takes away from the education. What was being taught has to get pushed back until after testing and students would have probably forgot what they were learning before the tests.
“I feel standardized test make students feel unnecessary stress. Standardized test take a lot of time away from the classroom and meaningful activities,” 8th grade ELA teacher, Ms. Liebler said.
Standardized tests reflect what students learned, but they also reflect the teacher’s teaching skills. If the student do poorly on the test, the teacher will be blamed. Knowing this, the teacher will be stressed knowing if the students did not understand something or didn’t pay attention, they’ll be the one to blame and will get in trouble. It is most likely not the teacher’s fault, but they will still be blamed.
“Students in my class know that it’s a reflection on their teacher, themselves, and the school,” middle school math teacher, Mr. Crace, explains. Also, merit pay is a way of paying teachers based on their students’ achievement levels on standardized tests, meaning if students perform poorly their teachers will also be paid poorly.
Teachers are short on time. They have to teach all the material that will be on the test before testing time. Students are treated like factory machines, lesson after lesson is taught trying to fit them all in, in time. Students go at a different pace when it comes to learning, some students can understand the first time they are taught, but some take a few times to understand it. This does not mean that they are less intelligent, it just means they have a different pace.
Teachers don’t have time to explain to make sure everyone understands, because they have to rush through everything to make sure everything that is supposed to be taught is taught. This stresses students and teachers because students are not treated like individuals.
In conclusion, standardized tests affects many teachers as well as students. Think about the teacher’s point of view and how they feel about it. Next time you complain to your teacher about why you need to take these tests, remember the teacher most likely agrees.
Middle School Journalist
Shayma Aljabali