Words of Wisdom

Youth is wasted on the young.

Thursday 2 July 2009

Tales From The Exam Room

Yesterday in Year 10 Geography, in answer to the question:

"Name two of our country's worst bushfire disasters."
one of my little friends had written...............

USA.
(don't ask...I have NO idea)

Yesterday: in answer to a question in the Year 9 Maths exam

"Is the data symmetrically distributed, positively or negatively skewed?"
one of my testosterone driven lads had written..........

Positively screwed.
(I suspect he did it on purpose. I gave him half a mark for getting the 'positively' bit correct >:-)

Today: in the Year 8's first exam, I announced that they had 10 minutes 'reading time' and sat back. After a few moments one of the boys put his hand up.

"Errrr....what are we supposed to read?" he enquired.

I refrained from the bitingly sarcastic "Shall I get you a magazine?" which sprang to my lips and indicated his test paper but before I could recover from the complete stupidity of this question, I noticed one of the other boys sitting staring into space.

"What are you doing?" I whispered in his ear, "you're meant to be reading."

He smiled vacantly and whispered back apologetically,
"Oh well, I didn't actually bring anything to read."

We assume so much.

12 comments:

A Free Man said...

Well, the USA is kind of a disaster. Maybe he was just a kid of a progressive bent?

Brittany said...

Wow...that is hilarious!

Elisa said...

How did you not just bust up laughing? I suppose the shock you felt was a more pressing immediate emotion than the hilarity I found in reading this.

Oh dear Oh dear Oh dear!!!

Arizaphale said...

I did have to repress hysteria. I let it out in the car on the way home whilst telling the BA about it though! Her comment was, 'don't they look around to see what everyone else is doing????' Obviously not.
It still makes me giggle actually...
but that's the whole Language Disorder thing; for them, Reading Time means novels and Library.

MelodyA. said...

I can't help but laugh at your pain sometimes.

Stacy said...

Oh goodness. Yes, I'm sure frustration sets in when you read things like that...but, it's also a bit funny. ;)

natalie said...

Too funny! I didn't realize older kids were still so LITERAL. Those sound exactly like responses I'd get from my little 8 and 9 year olds.

Have I mentioned that I'll be teaching Kindergarten next year?? 5/6 year olds...first year of schoo. YES!

Arizaphale said...

I have to admit that these are both kids with Language Disorder so perhaps I'm being a little harsh...but really....guys, look around you!!! You would think if language was an issue you might use your other senses a bit more.

Maggie said...

Ha ha! Kids - even big kids - can be so funny sometimes!

Jill said...

That's last part is almost sort of sweet, in an exasperating way. :-) He wasn't from Texas was he? Because here on the standardized tests they do have kids bring stuff to read after they're done, books, magazines. They might have to sit at their desk for an hour or longer if they're fast test takers. Some of the tests they end at a certain time whether everyone is done or not and other tests can go on all day if everyone's not done.

Funny on the positively screwed! How old are these kids again? I keep getting mixed up with the year.

Arizaphale said...

Yea, you know Jill, in Texas they bring things for after the exam.....this was BEFORE the exam :-D
These kids are 13-5 believe it or not!!!!

Jill said...

Oh BEFORE the exam?!?!? Well in Texas, you have just been shot for cheating. Or had your teaching certification taken away (for a standardized or state test).