#provincialexams

I have to say that I am almost glad I am not currently teaching in BC. Not only is there endless drama with the government with budget cuts, strikes, and court hearings, but to top it off the curriculum keeps changing. Standardized testing is one of the most complicated elements of schooling to properly integrate so that students have a positive and successful learning experience while giving educators a good idea about how well the program is working.

For many students, exams are a nightmare that is crammed for and then forgotten. For others, it is an opportunity to show off how much they learned. For teachers, it is another piece of the program that must be integrated into the course.

Over the past decade, provincial exams have changed multiple times in an effort to help students be well prepared for post-secondary, have a positive experience with exams, and to formally test their learning. This has resulted in a constantly shifting requirement to pass different classes. It used to be that only Grade 12 courses were examinable, then it moved to some Grade 10 and 11 courses, then it cut out some courses, and now it covers Math, English, Science, but only in select grades.

If this all sounds confusing, it is because it is. I can see why many students are struggling with all of these changes going on. It is my goal that students can find more support with this ever changing system and so Guardian Tutors will be offering exam prep courses throughout the school year.