From Gut Feeling to Surgical Strike: How the "Real English" Guy Made Peace with Data

對於熱愛「實用英語」的我來說，實在沒有多喜歡「考試英語」，更別說要去看懂這些Excel統計表格和解釋一大堆數字的意義真的很不容易。可是沒辦法，會考學力監測、增A減C、迷思概念等，這些已經變成輔導團必辦的重點工作項目之一。經過一番學習後，第一次的嘗試不太滿意，第二次更加努力想解釋分析的流程，可是老師們的反應更不好，所以打掉重來後的第三次才這麼地令人開心!

I’ve been the 'Real English' guy for a long time. Deep down, I’ve always despised teaching to the test. It feels like the opposite of everything I believe in. As a result, my first two attempts at running the data analysis workshop—Monitoring CAP Performance to Maximize Proficiency and Minimize Underperformance—left a lot to be desired.

Well, after a not-so-good first try and a disastrous second one, I nailed it this time. That's why I'm totally buzzing right now.

I’m the kind of teacher who lives for the real application of English stuff—readers’ theater, international exchanges, teaching English in English, to name just a few. Deep down, I’ve always hated teaching to the test. It feels like the opposite of everything I believe in. So, when the English Advisory Team (EAT) was tasked with helping schools dig into their CAP assessment data, I felt totally out of my depth. My gut reaction was to overcompensate.

I thought if I showed up with massive spreadsheets and explained the "anatomy" of the statistics, everyone would be impressed. I wanted to prove I knew the system.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Teachers didn’t care about the abstract math. They didn't want a lecture; they wanted a life raft. I completely missed the mark.

The Pivot: Changing the Game

I learned my lesson the hard way. I had to check my ego at the door and ditch the "expert" act.

This time, I tried something completely different. And guess what? It worked. Here is how I turned a total snoozefest into a workshop that actually helped people:

1. The "Surgical Strike" Mindset

Stop telling teachers to "work harder." Seriously. We’re all tired. We focused on working smarter. We aren't just grading tests anymore; we are diagnosing them. I call it the "Surgical Strike." Don't reteach the whole unit. Look at the distractors.

If 40% of the class failed Question 10 because they picked "B," we need to figure out why "B" looked so good to them. Did they mix up "Past Tense" with "Present Perfect"? Boom. Now the teacher knows exactly what to fix tomorrow morning. It’s fast, efficient, and saves your sanity.

2. Tech That Isn't a Gimmick

I tossed the long lectures in the trash. The new vibe? Mini-talks followed by immediate action. I used Padlet to organize the tasks and Wayground for quick games. It shifted the energy from "sit and listen" to "go do this." It was task-based. We even used AI reports to argue about which data points actually mattered.

3. The Goal: Push the top, pull the bottom (增A減C)

We want to nudge the high-flyers into "Proficient" (A) while dragging the struggling students out of "Needs Improvement" (C). By focusing on the specific myths and tricky questions that trip kids up, we help struggling schools compete with their "rivals" without making them feel terrible about where they are right now.

Reflection: Growth, Not Perfection Was today perfect? Nope.

I realized my questions for "Task 2"—analyzing the school's potential—were still way too confusing. Too much jargon. I could see I lost one or two teachers there. But this time? I didn't let it wreck me. That’s an easy fix for next time.

It feels good to admit I messed up and then fix it. I finally feel like I’m bridging the gap between being the "real English" teacher and the data nerd. Turns out, you can be both.