Students stare vigorously at a stack of cards held firmly in the grip of their teacher.
The teacher paces up and down the rows of desks as eyes stay glued to the blue deck of cards. Who will be chosen next? Teachers and the school districts have set up a system to give each student a chance to be heard in class. This method, known as equity cards, allows students’ ideas to be shared with each other and remain on task before they are to share their new thoughtful ideas. The blue cards at Carlmont hold a series of information that refer to a student and his or her abilities in school. Each teacher at Carlmont has been told by the school district to use these blue cards in each class so everyone participates. In certain studies, it has been seen that kids need this push in a classroom, especially in high school. In an article written by author Cathy Keen written to keep students engaged, Jerome Dancis, a University of Maryland math professor, said, “Only a small number of students are willing to raise their hands in class, usually the best students. It's important for teachers to realize that students need to be encouraged to speak in class, especially high school students because this is a shy age." Yet as these cards are assigned to each student, it has caused stress for some students during class. Sophomore Nic Bouchard said, “If I'm unprepared and get called on, it makes me stressed to know if I will be right or not. If someone just gets called on, and they’re not sure how to even get the answer, it’s not helping. They should understand it some way or understand how they got that answer. I'm not really present with the class because I'm going ahead to try to find the answer.” Students tend to rush their learning and understanding of material so they do not look “dumb” or “stupid” in front of their classmates. Junior Austin Lopacinski felt teachers were able to avoid this “dumb” feeling with time to talk to classmates before the student answers the question. “Equity cards aren’t always bad. It gets equality across the class. But you need to be prepared because the teacher will always pick it randomly. Some teachers let you speak to your partner for more shy kids, it makes them not want to go to class or participate,” said Lopacinski. Teachers do realize that it may be hard for some students to be put on the spot, and try to comfort their students as much as they can by pushing them to realize that their futures will consist of being put on the spot. Chemistry teacher Joshua Engberg said, “Equity cards have to be used properly, not overused. It can be useful so the teacher gets everyone in class to talk. Teachers, like anyone, have habits to call on same group of kids, and equity cards help you get to the names that aren't there or called on often. You should not cold card someone; you should give the question, give time to think and time to talk to, neighbor so the students are not out on the spot.” Other teachers use the cards as a sign of mastery to see if the students are understanding what they are teaching. Spanish teacher Carly Gatzert said, “I use it as a measure for myself to see if students have mastered concepts. I do try to give students opportunities to talk before showing answers so they have a chance to communicate before, but they show you need to prepared and this might happen in college. You might not feel prepared in the class, so you have to prepare by doing homework. You need to assume you are going to get picked.” Though equity cards are highly recommended by the school district, students still tend to be highly stressed out by the pick of one card. Sophomore Mailey McLemore said, “They do they make me nervous because sometimes I don't know the answer, and it's like you’re setup for failure. It’s hard to learn because you’re just trying to find answers and asking other students for answers instead of learning so you’re not made a fool of.” The cards are shuffled. Each name is there to stay. Will you be picked next? |