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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Ayers, what tells us what to do?

2. Who was Chesa's teacher that admired Chesa's strengths instead of focusing on his weaknesses?

3. According to Ayers, what is the goal when kids become the "crowd or herd"?

4. According to Chapter 2, "Seeing the Student," what is the often underutilized source of knowledge about youngsters?

5. What did Ayers say died at an early age for too many young Americans?

Short Essay Questions

1. What can a teacher do to get parental involvement according to Ayers?

2. In Chapter 3, "Creating an Environment for Learning," what was found on the wall of Mr. Ayers classrooms?

3. Describe the link between dropouts and literacy skills Ayers addressed in his research.

4. How did Ayers build a laboratory for discovery and surprise?

5. According to Ayers, how do students describe teachers?

6. Why are people called to teaching, according to Ayers?

7. What pains does Ayers say teachers usually face?

8. What does Ayers say that childhood is a time for?

9. What did Carolyn Jackson suggest about what it means to be black in America?

10. In Chapter 2, "Seeing the Student," describe the treasure hunt.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ayers believes that labeling is limiting and has the potential to hurt the self-esteem of students.

Part 1) Why did schools label and continue to label students according to Ayers?

Part 2) Explain how Ayers feels about "labels" creating an unequal experience for some students.

Essay Topic 2

William Ayers spent most of his professional life teaching. Ayers classroom was a laboratory for teaching.

Part 1) Describe Ayers's research shared in the book.

Part 2) Explain Ayers's focus of the book, To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher.

Part 3) What teaching "tips" or suggestions does Ayers hope the reader takes away from the book?

Essay Topic 3

Ayers said that teachers play various roles with the classroom. One role is to be a detective.

Part 1) Explain why and how Ayers believes that teachers are detectives.

Part 2) What role does observation play in this process according to Ayers?

(see the answer keys)

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