Practice What You Learn
In school, it's easy to cram for a test and forget all you've studied. But here's why this isn't an effective strategy for life.
“Do we need to know this for the test?”
I don’t know how many times I have heard this question as a teacher. After being a student myself for many years, I understood the reason behind it. Students wanted to perform well and get a good grade. But as a teacher, I also heard the unspoken part. If I don’t need it for the test, I’m going to go ahead and check out now.
I understood because I had once been a similar student. I vividly remember a science test in college that involved an amoeba, some kind of kingdom, and something called a phylum. Okay, I don’t vividly remember the test, but I remember the circumstances surrounding it.
I had procrastinated (science wasn’t my favorite subject) and studied for approximately 30-45 minutes beforehand, cramming everything highlighted and bold into my short-term memory so I could match correct answers and circle the right a, b, c, or d -all of the above. I aced the test. On the other hand, one of my friends had studied for about 4-5 hours, poring over her textbook. She barely passed.
About an hour after the test, we were hanging out in the cafeteria. Someone asked a question about something on the test, and my mind went blank. Short-term memory gone, moving on to the next crisis. My friend easily answered the question with a solid explanation. That's when my view of tests (as an education major) drastically shifted.
Projects Over Tests
This was one of several reasons I, as a teacher, decided to focus on projects whenever possible. Assignments where students couldn’t just bluff and cram for a short morning. They had to research, organize, and present information in a way that I hope achieved the goal of retention.
One of my eighth-grade students once told me, “Mrs. Byer, you’ve given me more projects this year than all my siblings and I have had put together in our entire lives so far.” I had to smile. Although there was some hyperbole involved, it seemed I had achieved my goal.
Unfortunately, I think this education system has slipped into how many Christians view their spiritual lives. What’s the minimum I need to know to get to Heaven? Can I cram it in on Sundays in a way that doesn’t inconvenience my other plans? Can I get just enough that I look and act right?
