Prueba

I gave my advanced students their first test today.

There are always a fair number of revelations on the first day a class gets a test.

Who will be the kid who asks the meaning of a vocabulary word that was on the list they were supposed to study? Which kid will call me over and ask how to do a specific section even though the instructions clearly delineate how to do it?

Which kid will finish first? Which kid will leave entire parts blank?

Tests bring out interesting sides of people.

'Prueba' is the Spanish word for 'quiz.' It is from the verb 'probar,' which means 'to try out.' 'Poner a la prueba' means 'to put to the test.'

The other teachers in my department and I are going to be put to the prueba in the upcoming weeks. We have a new assistant principal in charge of the department. He has laid out a rather long list of things he expects to see in our lessons when he comes to observe us.

One teacher I work with is freaking out even though she happens to be very good at what she does. But she's like that. Stress comes to her like flies to coke cans. Another teacher was already observed. She got very low marks.

"He didn't like anything I did," she told us after her consultation with him.

She was completely calm about it.

"His feedback was really helpful," she said with a shrug.

I guess no one, at any age, takes a test the same way.