Routinas (Routines): Giving a Test/Quiz

Examen Test (Use for both quiz and test. Some students never seemed to catch onto the word “prueba” (quiz) because I did not teach it explicitly, but you can differentiate between your tests by saying, examen pequeño (small test), examen grande (big test), examen oral (oral test), examen escrito (written test).  Add in hand gestures to increase comprehension.)

1.       Tell them when the test is: El examen pequeño es el viernes. The small quiz is on Friday.
2.      Then ask them when the test is: ¿Cuándo es el examen pequeño? When is the small quiz?
3.       Then have students reply using your first statement. (I would warn students about quizzes ahead of time, not that you have to, but I would always get surprised students. If students are repeating the information they are more likely to remember.)

Each time I gave my students a test I would put a PowerPoint slide on the overhead that had the following information, which I had explained previously and which also had pictures to aid comprehension:

Examen

Por favor…
1.       Quiten todo del pupitre  Take everything off your desk
2.      No usen un bolígrafo rojo  Don’t use a red pen
3.      Escriban su nombre, período y la fecha  Write your name, period and the date
4.      No miren otros papeles  Don’t look at others’ papers
¡Gracias!

The English was not included because instructions were simple, and I would also use hand motions.  I tended to have a lot of scratch paper, so when I would give a small quiz I would hand out a paper to students and they would take the quiz that was often on the next PowerPoint slide.  Then I would tell them, “Dejen caer su lapíz o bolígrafo” (Let your pen or pencil fall.)  (I would drop a pen or pencil on the floor to show them what to do, although this usually meant that a few students forgot to pick it back up again.)  While students were finishing up a test/quiz I would hand out red pens so that students could correct their own papers.  When we were finished correcting I would say, “Pasen los papeles” (Pass the papers) and “Pasen los bolígrafos” (Pass the pens).  I would also show students what to do with my own hand motions.