unfolding

When students at the HvA are tested, we, the teachers, should hand them out special examination sheets for their answers. Those sheets are sorta intimidating, because there's mentioned that the answers are not valid without the signature of the teacher. I do not put my signature on every sheet, actually. I am happy yet, when my students write their names on the sheet.

The HvA-board is quite fearful. Afraid they are: afraid of uninvited people in their buildings; afraid of students, swindling with the official HvA examination sheets. So here is the new policy: the official HvA examination sheets have been put away in an enormous safe. I test my students every week and I used to do that with the official HvA examination sheets. Since the sheets have been put away in the safe, my paper stock has diminished quickly. The procedure to open the safe is, of course, more complicated than taking examniations sheets from my own stock.

So, nowadays, when testing my students, I use print paper. I hand out A3 format unwritten paper; my students can fold it up and it looks exactly like an official HvA examination sheet. They draw a box in het right corner, specially for the grade. I have not seen them drawing a box for my signature.

The interesting side effect is, that a lot of my students do not fold the A3 paper. They use all the space this broad paper provides unfolded. Their handwriting improves. They makes drawings. Their test results are better. (I think).