First Day of School Quiz

in

What is Mr. Arakaki's favorite iCarly episode?

That was the number eight question on my 3rd Annual First Day of School Quiz! For the past two years of doing fourth grade, I kicked off the year with this quiz.

It's a great way for me to share some of personality with the students and I hope it shows them that I'm a person, too. A person who lives outside of the school building. Someone who was once a kid, too.

The style of the last question, though, was new for me this year. I wrote an open ended question, not multiple choice like the first nine Qs. It reads, "If Mr. Arakaki wanted to be the BEST teacher you've ever had, what would he need to do?"

Here are some of their answers. FYI, some of these students had me last year for fourth grade.

  • Go to middle school because he's awesome. Then, go a little older and teach high school, also.

  • Be himself. Be fun and creative. Do what he did last year.

  • I don't care as long as I learn and pass.

  • I don't know. He is already a great teacher. Maybe let us eat snacks.

  • I think he is already the best teacher.

  • Nothing, because last year in 4th grade he gave us cookies in the middle of a math class for no reason.

  • Stay young.

  • He is already a good teacher, but to be a better teacher, give (name of student) $100.

  • Play laser tag.

  • Be himself. (Don't change)

  • No clue.

  • Nothing.

After giving the class time to complete it, we go over the answers together. I usually share a short story that goes along with every question, and sometimes the different responses available. A lot of times, the multiple choice options are derived from a personal experience, or some of my friends.

I think it was a good quiz. My building admin and the district super came in on a walkthrough while we were going over the answers. They stopped in during questions five and six. They hung out for quite some time, and expressed some interest to find the right answer to number six.

I drew out number five at length and elaborated on this answer for an extended period of time, hoping that they'd leave before I would have to reveal the reasons why I was sent to the principal's office when I was in elementary school.

They left.

Anyway, here's a copy of this year's quiz embedded below.