“Because I wrote this test!” That was my response to this question posed by a student today while taking his right triangle trigonometry test. I could hardly respond due to my laughter, which I could hardly enjoy due to the circumstances of the room. You know, it’s best practice to stay quiet while students are testing!

The best part is that another anime question was coming up later, but this time, it was a reference to Attack on Titan. I told this student to “just wait.” As I circulated the room I kept a keen eye on him to see the anticipated moment of when he saw Levi Ackerman aiming at the Beast Titan. The student slowly turned his head to lock eyes with me; he furrowed his brow and shook his head in what some might construe as disapproval, but I knew it was a look of underlying appreciation.

What types of references do you use in writing your tests? What favorite references do you remember from your classes?