Handing Out Syllabi & Testing

[dancingalone]

In the past at my karate school, I have kept a syllabus that I more or less adhere to. I never gave them out to the students though because I didn't want to potentially set up a 'checklist' situation for each belt. This worked in that class because I had all adult students with few exceptions and we weren't a rank-oriented school.

Fast forward to my family TKD class which has both kids and adults working out together. With this particular group, I am making the assumption that it would be a good thing to hand out the expected material per belt level. Do you agree or not? Furthermore, those of you who do this, do any of you regularly teach material that is NOT listed on the syllabus? Do you test the students on it?

It doesn't sound too logical at first hearing, but I wanted to denote a core set of material that one absolutely MUST perform well in order to pass a grading. Yet there is additional content I find valuable and I want my students to learn it, but I would not be so strict as to fail them for not mastering the material since it doesn't fit my definition of what I think tae kwon do is.

 

[terryl965]

I have a basic one that will include the kicks, punches, one steps,poomsae-kata-forms and self defense. I have always included more than what I list and my students know this, remember it is the responsibility of each student to keep some kind of journal with techs and such.

 

[dancingalone]

I have a basic one that will include the kicks, punches, one steps,poomsae-kata-forms and self defense. I have always included more than what I list and my students know this, remember it is the responsibility of each student to keep some kind of journal with techs and such.

How do you handle this with the kids? I'm keen on testing on 'un-official' material, but I don't want to put kids on the spot or embarrass them during exams.

 

[terryl965]

How do you handle this with the kids? I'm keen on testing on 'un-official' material, but I don't want to put kids on the spot or embarrass them during exams.

Well with the ones 8 and up they keep a journal with what we worked on daily and it is there responsibility to keep current if under 8 i ask the parents to help them. I also tell them that at least one of the techs, that is not on the syllabus will be on the test and it is worth so much, let say I thought a few sd type take down for that testing cycle one of those will be ask to be done, know it is up to each student which one because we tought three so it makes them work on it at home and it is worth lets say 10 points on top of there test score and minus five points if they are unable to do one of them.

 

[Earl Weiss]

We have rank requirement sheets for each level. Each sheet has some material in Bold face and underlined. That is for the first test on that sheet. The second test includes everything. as soon as you pass the test for the whole sheet and recieve your rank, that very same class you get the next level sheet. That way all students know exactly what is expected of them and assistant instructors know exactly what to cover.

Further, it shifts repsonisblity to students. A few weeks before the test we remind thwm to ask questions about anything they are not sure of or need more help on.

 

[Earl Weiss]

These same requirement sheets ahve a little blank line next to each item. The same sheet is then used for testing. The candidate may also be called upon to perform material from any prior sheet and usualy does.

 

[Balrog]

I have PDF files for every rank with the material for the rank that is required. Each student gets one of those sheets along with the new belt. We also have DVDs of the material so that they can practice at home.

And every student is responsible for low rank material. I'll ask the Brown Belts at testing to do the second Orange Belt one-step, for example, and if they can't, they are counted off.

 

[dancingalone]

I must be running counter to the prevailing philosophy again. I want to create a certain air of unpredictability in our examinations, yet I don't want to make it a potentially crushing experience for the kids. Tough to have both, I suppose.

I also didn't want to create a situation where students run to check off the items on their list to get a new belt. That's where my hesitation from handing out a requirements sheet comes from.

 

[FieldDiscipline]

I also didn't want to create a situation where students run to check off the items on their list to get a new belt. That's where my hesitation from handing out a requirements sheet comes from.

I think that is inevitable. I know students who have been watching the grades above them test, or talking to them, to know what they were tested on and then ignoring the other stuff.

For example if someone testing for blue belt knew they would be tested on Taegeuk's 1 and 4, they then don't practice 2 and 3.

 

[StudentCarl]

I must be running counter to the prevailing philosophy again. I want to create a certain air of unpredictability in our examinations, yet I don't want to make it a potentially crushing experience for the kids. Tough to have both, I suppose.

I also didn't want to create a situation where students run to check off the items on their list to get a new belt. That's where my hesitation from handing out a requirements sheet comes from.

My master provides a school handbook that lists the requirements for each belt up to black, and includes required Korean terms, dojang rules, and other basic info about what TKD is and history.

I think unpredictability in how you test is fine, but not about what a student is expected to know. It's not about checking off requirements--you're telling students what they should be focused on, which makes their goal more defined. What those goals mean in reality is something you teach them that in the way you run class. I think an acceptable yellow belt rear leg round kick is different from what is acceptable from a blue belt. You still decide when students are ready to test, and they'll still be nervous on test day.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I must be running counter to the prevailing philosophy again. I want to create a certain air of unpredictability in our examinations, yet I don't want to make it a potentially crushing experience for the kids. Tough to have both, I suppose.

Unpredictable in what way?

I also didn't want to create a situation where students run to check off the items on their list to get a new belt. That's where my hesitation from handing out a requirements sheet comes from.

Are you are referring to the dynamic where students learn material for a test and then promptly forget it while learning material for the next test?

Daniel

 

[IcemanSK]

My school has a textbook that has the minimum requirements for each rank. Certainly the first test there are few, if any, additions to the minimum requirements. However, the higher rank the tester is, more than the minimum is required. I make sure my students understand that other things than are listed for their rank might be on their test.

 

[dancingalone]

I think unpredictability in how you test is fine, but not about what a student is expected to know. It's not about checking off requirements--you're telling students what they should be focused on, which makes their goal more defined. What those goals mean in reality is something you teach them that in the way you run class. I think an acceptable yellow belt rear leg round kick is different from what is acceptable from a blue belt. You still decide when students are ready to test, and they'll still be nervous on test day.

I enjoy teaching and practicing material 'outside of the curriculum'. An example would perhaps be a flying scissors take down. I don't place it officially in the requirements because truthfully its probably one of the more serendipitous and 'impractical' techniques, but it's still fun to coach and to practice. So would I want to FAIL a student for not having it down. No. But I do think it would be fun to throw in on a belt exam just to see if the students are retaining material we have spent time on in class.

Also, I've never been one to hold a student back from learning new material if he is ready for it, even if it nominally assigned to a higher belt list. So I don't want to get into a situation where someone says 'Hey, that's not my list of requirements.'

 

[dancingalone]

Unpredictable in what way?

Know you could be asked to demonstrate at the test virtually anything you've practiced in class before, even if it is not on some static requirements list.

Are you are referring to the dynamic where students learn material for a test and then promptly forget it while learning material for the next test?

Daniel

That's part of it. In the main it's that I want to de-emphasize the belt rank. I don't want the students to be like a Cub Scout checking off items to earn patches. That paradigm works well for the Cub Scouts, but I am not sure I like it for martial arts. That said, I use a belt system because it is both expected and liked by most people.

 

[StudentCarl]

I enjoy teaching and practicing material 'outside of the curriculum'. An example would perhaps be a flying scissors take down. I don't place it officially in the requirements because truthfully its probably one of the more serendipitous and 'impractical' techniques, but it's still fun to coach and to practice. So would I want to FAIL a student for not having it down. No. But I do think it would be fun to throw in on a belt exam just to see if the students are retaining material we have spent time on in class.

My master will do the same thing, most often putting competition team members on the spot to show they can go above and beyond. At our school the comp. team members are expected to be the 'best of the best' at everything. I thrive on that challenge.

 

[Makalakumu]

The best thing you can do is have a set requirement list that students can cue in on the concepts you really think are important. Confusion is appropriate when posing questions, problems or scenarios, but as far as your grading expectations go, have them laid out in a clear and concise manner.

I went to great lengths to do this for my students. I wrote a book and will write another book the basics of the system. Have a list that describes the outline of of what you expect and give yourself room for adding in some unpredictability.