Parody of Matisyahu’s One Day

TTTO: “One Day” by Matisyahu

Sometimes I sit,
In my classroom desk,
And I thank G-d I’m learning,
But, I wish,
There were no tests,
‘Cuz only F’s I’m earning.

Sometimes in my tears I drown,
These tests, they really put me down,
The big F on the top in red pen,
To only get that each week, again and again.

CHORUS:
All my life I’ve been waiting
I’ve been praying for,
For a teacher to say,
You’re not just about the end unit test,
I’ll set you up for success,
You deserve an A,
One day, one day, one day…..

It shouldn’t be
The pass or fail,
And all the six page tests,
We should use other
Assessment tools,
Ones that show my learning best,

When I get that six page multiple choice,
I feel like I don’t have a voice,
Besides we’re done this unit for the year,
So my results are baseless, it’s crystal clear. ¹

CHORUS
If we get it wrong,
On a test,
Can we correct it after?
Wouldn’t that be best?

You might think,
“You’re not learning that way,”
But don’t the best learners,
Learn from their mistakes? ²

Sometimes in the studying I drown,
Until I’m at the verge of a breakdown,
I really do want to succeed,
So that second chance may be all I need.

CHORUS
I’m a student on a losing streak,
Nothing I try seems to work,
I’m confused, I don’t like this, help!
Feedback is criticism, It HURTS!

Don’t you see that all this leads,
Me to quickly reach for defeat,
Negative self fulfilling prophecy,
I suck, I’m dumb, my teacher hates me. ³

CHORUS
I wish my teachers, would all see,
How assessment can be used AS learning, ⁴
Not just to assess our memory,
‘Cuz then that 40% I’m earning.

Can’t my teachers recognize,
My anxiety goes past the skies,
When that test comes out by surprise, ⁵
My self worth and potential are minimized.

CHORUS
Yesterday I sat,
Scrolling on my phone,
I needed a break, from studying for my test,
When suddenly
Google suggested for me,
An article on the best ways to assess.

You can use them to make an assessment OF learning,
But what are you really earning?
You can use them FOR learning too,
But the best way is to use it AS a learning tool. ⁶

CHORUS:
All my life I’ve been waiting
I’ve been praying for,
For a teacher to say,
You’re not just about the end unit test,
I’ll set you up for success,
You deserve an A,
One day, one day, one day…..

References for the footnotes:

1. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec07/vol65/num04/Learning-to-Love-Assessment.aspx (Understanding 5: Informative assessment isn’t about “after.”)
2.  http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-Learning.aspx (Give Second Chances to Demonstrate Success)
3. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may07/vol64/num08/Assessment-Through-the-Student%27s-Eyes.aspx 
4.  https://wlts.edb.hkedcity.net/filemanager/file/AandL2chapter/A&L2_(1)%20Lorna.pdf (Assessment as learning focuses on the role of the student as the critical connector between assessment and their own learning. Students, acting as active critical thinkers, make sense of information, relate it to prior knowledge, and use it to construct new learning)
5. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-Learning.aspx (Classroom assessments that serve as meaningful sources of information don’t surprise students.)
6. http://web.uvic.ca/~thopper/iweb09/GillPaul/Site/Assessment_files/Assessment.pdf