With Crack the Test Co. going live, I want to share where these resources came from. They grew out of more than 20 years of teaching, researching, trying things, and making changes when students needed something different.
They also grew out of a question I kept coming back to: How can I help students show what they know when a test gets in the way?
I have seen students understand a lesson, contribute to a discussion, and explain their thinking—then struggle when that same learning appeared in a test question. Sometimes the wording confused them. Sometimes they rushed past an important detail. Sometimes they were so worried about getting the answer wrong that they did not know where to begin.
I wanted to give them a place to begin.
Research Helped Me Ask Better Questions
Peer-reviewed articles helped inform my work, but the classroom was where I had to put those ideas into practice.
Through action research in my own teaching, I paid attention to what happened when I introduced a strategy. I looked at student work, listened to explanations, and noticed where students still needed support. Then I adjusted and tried again.
Did students understand the question more clearly? Could they explain why an answer made sense? Could they use the strategy independently, or did it only work while I was standing beside them?
Those questions mattered. A strategy could look wonderful on paper and still need changes for the students in front of me.
Over the years, I changed directions, examples, wording, practice activities, and the amount of support I provided. Sometimes a small adjustment made a difference. Other times, I needed to rethink the approach.
That process became part of how I taught—and how I created these resources.
Giving Students a Way to Begin
I wanted students to have a clear way to approach an unfamiliar question.
That meant helping them slow down, identify what they were being asked, connect it to what they knew, and explain their thinking. It also meant giving them opportunities to practice with support before expecting them to work independently.
The goal was always bigger than getting through one worksheet or choosing one correct answer. I wanted students to understand what they were doing and feel more confident doing it again.
Students bring different strengths and needs to the classroom. I could not assume that one explanation, one example, or one activity would reach everyone. My goal was to keep finding more ways for students to access the learning and experience success.
Why I Am Sharing These Resources
Crack the Test Co. brings that work together.
These resources reflect years of reading, classroom observation, student feedback, and revision. They carry lessons from the things that worked and the things I had to change.
I also know how much teachers are carrying. Creating a useful resource takes time: thinking through the lesson, preparing examples, anticipating confusion, and deciding how to support students who need another way in. My hope is that sharing this work gives teachers a helpful starting point and more time to focus on their students.
As this website goes live, that is what I want you to know about the resources here. They were created with students in mind and shaped by the ongoing work of helping them learn.
After more than 20 years, I am still learning and adjusting. I still care about that moment when a student who once felt stuck says, “I know how to start.”
That is the kind of success I want to help build.
Welcome to Crack the Test Co. I am glad you are here.
— JM McCarty