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Saturday, October 08, 2011

The First Answer is Free…

I always get a positive response when handing out quiz and test materials with the standard promise:

“I’ll always give you the first answer for free!”

That always seems to accelerate the process of getting tables cleared, a pencil out and their undivided attention toward the front of the room in record time.

With dramatic pause and thirty pencils poised to snag a freebie answer, I direct their attention to the top of the page where the first question is:  

NAME________________

"The first answer is: your name"


Varied responses:
Groan!
…Ha, Ha, I get it, Good one!
…And let me guess, the answer to the 2nd question is: Date?
...I don’t get it! (…from slow on the uptake group still looking at QUESTION #1)

5 comments:

Michael said...

Hi there!

I am a beginning teacher and I thought following your blog would be very insightful since you have so much experience in different classrooms as a sub.

I really got a kick reading this post of yours. I'm sure as a sub you might be administrating many tests and no better way to break the ice then to give students a free answer!

KauaiMark said...

Stop by anytime and good luck in your new career!

Marcus Byrd said...

Nice tip a like this. You would think they would catch on before too long?

KauaiMark said...

You'd be surprised at how many papers handed in that have no name attached.

Kaylee's Education Studio said...

At least this way they will remember to put their name on the quiz.