We didn't have dance exams when we were children, and I think I'm glad of that. Sometimes, though, I wonder - if we had appeared for exams, would we have been more driven to learn? Or would we have wanted to stop learning dance? I was one of those kids who loved exams, but I was also one of those kids who hated dance, so I have no way of knowing.Now, though, as I watch children say the adavu shollu kattu and respond to the examiners' questions, I realise how many things I enjoy about being on the opposite side of students appearing for their dance exams. Here are a few that come to mind.The littlest ones sometimes wear dupattas for the first time for their exam. They beam as they stand before the examiners, dressed up in dangling earrings and kajal. Some are like mannequins, barely touching anything they're wearing; others continually pat the dupatta around their waists. I … [Read more...]
Board Exam
Ought I to be nervous? Concerned? Stressed?My students are writing their board exams. I wished them luck, gave them a pep talk and some last minute 'tips'.One student asked me for a vocabulary list he can use. I wanted to tell him 'a', 'an', 'the'. Instead, I told him not to use 'hi-fi' language. They laughed because I once ranted about how inappropriate the term 'hi-fi' is.Another student wanted to write the words 'discursive' and 'argumentative' on a piece of paper and take it into the exam hall. Another student succinctly said, "Arre! That will be on your question paper only! What you're writing?" Essentially, his point, as I understood it was that if he wanted to cheat, he should do something useful. The point was taken and understood.A student wrote an essay for me yesterday and left it on my desk with a note. The essay was Tron Legacy rewritten.Students don't seem to … [Read more...]
Exam Gems III
Asked to 'write a commentary' on a poem, students write:'...one thing where I felt that it is wrong is that he did not divide the last line properly, the last line's word is going in the next paragraph.' 'The name given to the poem is very good' 'The poem does not start with a boy sleeping but we can imagine this because the situation will be like that only.' 'I don't understand why does he just start to talk about his own self instead of ending it in a good way. I just did not like the ending because it was confusing but the rest of the poem from the starting was wrote in a decent manner... it was rhyming also when it was needed except the last part' 'The short sentences create a great mood of reading the extract, as their is less to read and more to understand.' 'The tone of the narrator is in a very appreciable fashion.' '[The poet] has a great critical thinking power.'We asked for … [Read more...]
Exam Gems II
Attempting to create pathos and anger: 'Reaching hospital it was looking like messy type' 'I got him into the last point of insultation'Attempting - um - I don't know what: 'And if the film is ya some actors take more many if they don't hard work' (Mm? Can you say that again?)Imaginative writing: 'Their colour was blue as dark blue in the ocean, just as ocean their body was made of ocean.'Arguing for equality: 'The removal of Girls and a huge unrespect for girls is seen in the parts of India.'Innovative spelling:buque (Say it aloud; you may understand) masculur paniced humguous maintedLet's make up words and phrases! fightings unequality By mistakely step on your own feet … [Read more...]
Exam Gems
Correcting papers is a crazy experience. There are some things each teacher in the staff room feels compelled to share with the others.Commenting on a poem's language and style, students write... 'This heart-touching poem...', or better still - 'This tear-dropping poem...'Commenting on the expected audience, a student has a bewildering response - 'The language used is abit complex probably not aiming for audience but for readers who are mature.'Describing a forest, a student wants to create rich imagery, so talks about 'barked densed trees'The students are also tested on their ability to empathise. One exercise was a letter written by Theo to his famous brother, the painter, Vincent Van Gogh. A student writes - 'You have to treat such problems as a video game'Spelling is the most exciting - use your imagination here. Be warned, students cheerfully invent … [Read more...]
Invigilator
Right through school, I enjoyed exams. People found that odd, so I often did not confess that I loved exams. I loved the excited anticipation just before exams. I loved that clean, fresh uniform. (Somehow, the exam uniform stays cleaner than a regular day's uniform.) I loved the light bag with barely any books in it. I loved the last-minute discussion of all those tiny little doubts. I loved the hurried revision one second before the examiner walked in.And in college, I loved the feeling of finishing early and walking out - sometimes an hour before my friends. Freedom!Today, I was invigilator. I felt all those familiar feelings and then, like a stone sinking within me, I grew bored.I miss being on the other side of the table. Watching an exam is nowhere near as inspiring as writing it. … [Read more...]