The fundamental purpose of teaching is to pass on knowledge to new generations. But that purpose is often obscured by the material needs of contemporary students. The exact definition of knowledge likely varies among people and institutions. The school’s slogan, “preparing boys
The fundamental purpose of teaching is to pass on knowledge to new generations. But that purpose is often obscured by the material needs of contemporary students. The exact definition of knowledge likely varies among people and institutions. The school’s slogan, “preparing boys for life,” suggests a priority on the overarching concepts of education, rather than minute, insignificant details.
By focusing on larger ideas, teachers at Haverford strive for deeper understanding. Few people have spent more time contemplating the meaning of this deeper understanding than upper school pre-calculus teacher Mr. Nathan Bridge.
“I’m trying to really provide the students with an opportunity to demonstrate to me what they actually know and understand about the mathematical material,” Mr. Bridge said. “So when I design an assessment, I want to eliminate any factors or variables that might interfere with that communication.”
“If I want to know what students understand, it quickly becomes evident that we can’t put all the emphasis of the problem on getting the correct answer.”Mr. Nathan Bridge
For Mr. Bridge, getting the correct answer is only a portion of the understanding he wants from his students.
“Even if they don’t get the right answer, they still have plenty of opportunity to communicate all their thinking about the problem. If I want to know what students understand, it quickly becomes evident that we can’t put all the emphasis of the problem on getting the correct answer,” Mr. Bridge said.
Students in his class are appreciative of the multiple opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.
“I think it’s really interesting the way that he grades it using so many different rubrics,” Fourth Former Luke Putter said. “There are just so many different ways that you’re able to get your grade up.”
Mr. Bridge has spent countless hours perfecting these different rubrics to optimize the growth potential for all of his assessments.
“In my class, knowledge and understanding means making sense o