Dear Standardized Test,
Welcome to room 614. It is almost that time of year when you invade our classrooms across the state and take residence for two weeks or longer. So, when I say welcome, I am really lying to you. There is nothing welcoming in my greeting.
I look at my students today and see those students who are no longer on medication due to a nation-wide shortage and wonder if they are going to be able to sit through your grueling hours-long daily visit. I look at those students who came to me reading below grade level but are now showing so much growth and wonder if your reading passages are going to be a slap in their face and make them feel defeated before they even get started. I wonder if all my students will have parents who take away their phones so they will get a good night's sleep. I wonder if they will have a good breakfast waiting on their tables when they wake up. I even wonder if they will wake up and be at school on time.
I wonder...
I wonder...
and the list goes on.
I look at my colleagues who begin to question themselves. Questions like have I done enough?
I refuse to be one of those teachers. A teacher who feels her worth is based on your visit into our classroom these two weeks out of an entire school year. A teacher who is asked to look at her students as a test score, an evaluation point, or merit pay compensation.
You cannot defeat me. You cannot question my ability as a teacher and my students as learners. You will walk into my classroom on April 15th. We will be cordial because that is what we are required to do. But we will open the door widely when our time together is over.
There is so much more I could say but the bell is about to ring, and my students are about to enter my classroom. We have more learning to do today.
We are approaching the end of year when we should be celebrating our time together as learners. And that is exactly what we will do.
Leigh Anne Eck
6th Grade English language arts teacher
Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we
share a slice of life during the month of March.
Well said!
ReplyDeleteBravo, Leigh Anne. Share that w/ your colleagues. I hate those tests. I really do. They are such an intrusion. I refused to teach to the test, and not one student who entered my room left w/out knowing my opinion on the ISAT test. I rant about them when I sub. too. I gave a speech in 10th or 11th grade against them and have been on a crusade ever since,
ReplyDeleteLeigh Ann, I knew I would love this post and I do. This whole section, "You cannot defeat me. You cannot question my ability as a teacher and my students as learners. You will walk into my classroom on April 15th. We will be cordial because that is what we are required to do. But we will open the door widely when our time together is over." Polite. Thoughtful. Obedient. But we will move on. Simply superb!
ReplyDeleteStandardized testing is the bane of all teachers. I reminded my students every single test day that they are more than this test. To my students who had to work on grade level with only limited accommodations I reminded them to give it their all. I knew they could do it & as long as they put forth their best effort I was proud of them. It seemed that the writing component would be the day that would leave them absolutely crushed. They'd look to me & I hated that I couldn't help them. After the writing was said and done I'd talk to them one on one & let their frustrations be heard.
ReplyDeleteWell said! Don't ever let anyone describe anyone of us with any test that attempts to describe someone based on answers to questions that someone, who knows nothing about them wrote in an attempt to tease out what someone knows.....and yes, my response is a long run on and confusing sentence, just like all these required "tests."
ReplyDeleteBravo, Leigh Ann. You need to publish this post. I can feel the angst throughout your letter. Education is not about a test. Your voice shows how much you care about your students, their well-being, and their growth.
ReplyDeleteWhat a letter! Ours start next week, and I feel all of this.
ReplyDeleteI love how your stand strong and how your words are assertive. We have to stop letting a test bully us and make us cower. Thank you for this. May I share it with my colleagues who are also preparing to test soon?
ReplyDeleteYes to all of this!
ReplyDelete