(Update: Readers might find an exchange I had with Alfie Kohn in the comments section interesting)

Alfie Kohn shared a video on Twitter this morning that a Nebraska school district posted on YouTube as a good example of how a teacher should talk with a student in preparing for a standardized test. This was his tweet:

 

It is an unfortunate video, and here it is:

I feel bad for the student, and I feel bad for the teacher, who is stuck in a system, as many teachers are, where the narrow focus on “data” overshadows relationships and learning. Talking to students about their “weaknesses” based on standardized test scores and telling them what their goals should be is not going to lead to anything good.

I’ve previously posted about the kinds of conversations I have with students prior to their taking state tests, and I think the contrast might be informative:

Talking With Students About Standardized Tests

The Most Effective Thing I’ve Done To Prepare Students For Standardized Tests

You can also find links to them, as well as to other related resources, at The Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad).