What we are learning...
Mr. Mike Finch, Director of Athletics and Middle School Math Teacher
What is your favorite color? Pink.
What is your favorite book? Dracula by Bram Stoker.
What is your favorite movie? "The Godfather, Part 1"
If I hadn't been a teacher, I probably would've been... an attorney.
Who is your favorite song? "22" by Taylor Swift.
If you could travel anywhere in space and time, where and when would you like to visit? Mars, 1,000 years into the future.
Where were you born? Tacoma, WA, 1983, at Tacoma General.
Any interesting trivia about you? I got frost bite on my left hand in 8th Grade from holding a scoop of ice cream too long in the month of February.
Where did you attend Middle School? Truman MS, Tacoma.
Who was your favorite or most influential teacher? Mr. Richardson, 10th Grade Chemistry.
In this unit of 7th Grade Math, we’re solving equations. BUT…we’re not just solving equations, we’re solving every possible different type of equation that a MS’er could have to solve. It’s been fun since most 7th Grade Math students are solving complex equations for the first time in their math careers. There have been a lot of “aha!” moments, and an equal amount “uh what?” moments. Just this week we introduced the reason why solving equations is necessary in terms of geometry: to find out where lines intersect one another. Again, 100% of the class exclaimed “uh what?” followed by an “aha!” 10 minutes later in the lesson. It was pretty cool to see.
First Semester Finals
First Semester Final Assessments are scheduled for the week before Winter Break. Students have received the overall Finals schedule, and it's included below as well. This year we are trying something new with our finals schedule.Traditionally, finals took the form of cumulative examinations at the end of a term that assessed content acquisition and application. This follows the model set by universities. As educational models and programs evolved, the administration of final assessments has too, informed not only by the experience of students and teachers but also by the insights of neuroscience. Cramming content into one's brain might be effective to be able to regurgitate once or twice, but there's no guarantee that information will "stick" or transfer to different contexts. In our program, assessments are designed with mastery and application in mind, not content cramming, and the format of formative and summative assessments varies with each subject and unit, as the assessments are designed for students to demonstrate mastery in a variety of intellectual contexts. Likewise, our finals are neither "cumulative" (in the sense of capturing all of the content from throughout the term) nor "culminating" (in the sense of being the last chance to demonstrate master). Instead, our finals are more of a "peak experience," a significant opportunity to assess progress toward mastery.
This year, our faculty have mapped out a sequence for final assessments. The goal of this sequence is both to provide students a variety of finals to check for mastery and to develop the study skills of organization, long-term planning, and reinforcement that are not only essential to learning but also helpful in preparing for high school and beyond. In Grades 6 and 7, students will have 3 finals each semester; in Grade 8, students will have 4 each semester. Students will have a Math final at the end of each semester and a Language Acquisition final at the end of each year. Other subjects vary from grade to grade. The specifics might change over time, but the general progression will stay in place.
Scheduling finals before Winter Break affords a number of benefits. The most obvious benefit is that it gives students a real break over the holidays. Moving finals away from the end of the semester will potentially avoid spiking stress levels as the term wraps up. On a very practical level, building a few weeks between finals and the end of the term also allows time to make-up a final in case of a student's absence due to illness or unanticipated events as well as time to review finals and provide essential feedback.
The full schedule for finals is here. As this schedule demonstrates, each day includes a mix of finals, other classes (Arts, Design, PHE), Athletics, and special occasions like our MS Holiday Celebration and annual Holiday Tea. The week culminates in Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day, which includes a special musical performance by our MS ensembles and the MS Expo, which highlights projects from throughout the curriculum. The inclusion of Arts, Design, and PHE not only help us meet the minimum hours required by the MYP for these subjects but also to provide some active, kinesthetic balance to what might be long testing sessions. Blending special events like our informal Holiday Celebration and our more formal Holiday Tea will make for a busy week, for sure, but it also intends to keep students active and engaged right up to their vacation.
As we move toward First Semester finals, I invite you to help students prepare for finals by keeping these things at the fore:
- Remind your student that finals are about demonstrating mastery and growth, and preparing for finals is about organization and preparation. Finals are not "make it or break it" moments in the school experience.
- Keep the temperature low - don't put any more pressure on your student's performance during finals than you would on any other assessment.
- Maintain your routine as much as possible. Don't throw any curve-balls or surprises that might affect your student's plans, and don't schedule off-campus appointments during finals days.
- Ensure that your student is sleeping and eating well in the days leading up to finals.
If you have any questions about finals or preparation for them, please contact your student's Advisor or Mr. Bill Hulseman.
