Making Tests

So my least favorite thing to do as a teacher is to make tests!  I do not feel confident at all in making them.  I'm never really sure if I'm testing what my students really know.  I try to use this test generator that comes with the textbooks.  They never have good questions because I use the textbook like a reference book.  So, that means that I have to come up with my own questions.

Earlier this semester I went to a professional development day on "How to write a test that would be closest to the state test given at the end of the year."  (You know your jealous!)  However, this just weakened my confidence even more!  I know the rules the test makers follow, but this nagging in my head says that I'm not doing it right. 

I've almost given up on tests and gone to authentic assessments only.  More rubrics are in my future!  But semester tests are coming up quick and I have to make a HUGE test to give and I want it to help my students' grades, not hurt them. 

The Dreaded Chemical Closet!

The "Hole"

So I have this thorn in my side the size of a closet.  Well, actually, it is a closet.  It's the chemical closet that the chemistry teacher and I share, it actually connects our two rooms.  She hasn't taught chemistry in 20 years and this is my first year to teach anything.  By the time I was hired most of the summer was gone and I was trying to get my room in order and so was the other teacher.   By the time we got our rooms in to some sort of semblance school was starting.

Now every time we need to get something out of the dreaded closet we have a pow wow about what we are going to do to get it cleaned up.  The chemicals are in alphabetical order which should makes it easy to find the chemicals we need....WRONG.  It is so crammed full of other things like parade float skirts...see black bag in picture.

We are going to work on the closet this summer, but I don't know what to do with all of the old, yucky chemicals.  I'm going to have to do a lot of research to find the MSDS (material safety data sheets) on all these chemicals.  Unless, someone has a better idea?  If so please comment, because I would love to get this thorn out of my side!