Standardized tests can be scary for students. I remember getting nervous if there was any test that I knew was important. And I saw how my kids had to endure them. So that inspired this standardized tests cartoon.
There are pros and cons to using them. And let’s face it: no one likes standardized tests! But for adults, none of our tests are standard.
Teachers hate giving them. Students hate taking them. Parents hate seeing their kids endure them. Who likes standardized tests besides politicians and the makers of these tests?
You finally see some politicians take up the cause of less testing. But some fear the pressure has already done too much damage to students, parents and schools.
Whether standardized tests are good or not, there was never any good campaign to promote standardized tests with the public. The marketing was poor or nonexistent. It was merely seen as a measuring stick by which all schools should be measured. The problem is, if all a school has time to do is measure whether the kids are learning, there is never any time for teaching… or at least the kind of teaching that makes kids fall in love with lifetime learning.
Standardized tests have become the bane of school teachers for a good reason. It’s difficult being creative when you are hammering your students with facts and figures for the next critical test.
Thankfully, standardized tests haven’t come to children’s ministry. Now there is a need for scripture memorization and biblical literacy. However, we must balance the need for knowledge with the need for creative storytelling. Children’s ministry workers need to remember when we tell a story creatively, it can bring the lesson to life.
We are all wired to tell and hear stories. After all, Jesus taught in parables as he also taught the scriptures.
As I look my old cartoon, I’m wondering what Bible story would involve sword swallowing. I’m not encouraging any student or teacher to take up sword swallowing. I’ll leave that up the professionals like Mrs. Jones. All the same, if you had the opportunity to use a sword swallower, which Bible story would you think could fit the bill?
