Aaahh...

It is hard to believe another March has arrived, and it is time for another Slice of Life Challenge.  This is my third year of participating.  Thank you Two Writing Teachers for creating this space for me to share my corner of the world.

You know that feeling you get when you have worn a pair of jeans all day that are just a little too tight, and you finally change to sweat pants?

Or when you have been wearing heels all day and you finally change into a pair of tennis shoes?

Or when you overeat at Thanksgiving (or any other meal) and you let the belt out a notch...or two?

That is how I felt this week - very restricted and confined.

We began the first round of our state testing this week.  Earlier in the week I moved my students from small groups into nice, neat rows of desks.  Perfect for test takers.  I shut my blinds to avoid distractions and to help with concentration.  Perfect environment for test takers.

Today I was allowed to change into those sweatpants and tennis shoes and let out my belt.

My desks are back into small groups ready for turn and talk and true collaboration. Perfect for engaged learning.  I have a corner room with three large windows.  The blinds are now open, letting in natural light and brightening my room again.  Perfect for engaged learning.

I looked around my room and let out a sigh....I can start teaching again!

*This post was written on Friday afternoon.

Enough

It has been a tough week.  Tonight I am sitting by the fire, remembering why I became a teacher and wondering why people who have never taught in a classroom continue to make educational decisions.

Indiana teachers received the testing schedule for round one which will take place the first week of March.  After seeing this, my jaw hit the desk.

That week, our students will test for almost a total of seven hours.  Now here is the kicker, or should I say kickers.

Kicker #1 - Those seven hours are just the first round.  We still have the multiple choice portion in late April, and we have no idea how many hours the second one will be.

Kicker #2 - We have a practice test in a couple of weeks to prepare us for the real one.  We have new standards and a new test format, so I appreciate the fact that they are letting all students practice.  But, this test could take over four hours...for practice.  That puts us up to eleven hours of testing, almost three times as long as last year.

Kicker #3 - Politicians are wanting standardized testing to count more toward teacher evaluations.  Although I disagree with that policy, I disagree even more after looking at testing time distribution.

      Science or social studies testing time - 30 minutes
      Math testing time - 80 minutes
      ELA testing time - 4 hours and 50 minutes
   
I am a language arts teacher.  Can someone tell me how the criteria for my evaluation can even come close to being equal to those teachers teaching other subjects?  My students will spend almost an entire school day testing.  At what point do you think they will just give up and quit?

I know testing is the current educational culture, but when does someone finally stand up and say, enough is enough?

When do we stop teaching test takers and start teaching creative and enthusiastic learners?

When do educators, not politicians, get to make decisions on what we know is best for our students?

When do we get to be treated like the professionals we were trained to be?

When is enough really enough?

As disgruntled as I am tonight, I still love teaching.  I will walk in Monday morning with a smile on face, and I will continue to love my students and continue to give them my best.  That is what they deserve.

SOLSC #8 - My Super Heroes

Read more slices at
Two Writing Teachers

Celebrate with Ruth Ayres

Today's post is both a slice and certainly a celebration!

I am blessed to have a small Bible study group which meets before school once a week.  The husband of one of our teachers is a pastor, and he leads the group.  He usually shares a lesson based on a scripture passage.  We celebrate life's blessings, share tears, and laugh and pray together.  Teaching is not easy, and this group gives me the support that is needed to sustain a positive attitude.  Many weeks it is the highlight of my day.

This week was our state testing and as much as we try to keep things on an even keel, this week has been anything but that.

We started our week with a snow day on Monday (our tenth!), a two-hour delay on Tuesday, and a one-hour delay on Wednesday.  Testing was delayed a day, and the kids and teachers have been stressed.  To top all of that, we are in our second week of hour-long extended days to make up for the snow days.  Needless to say, it has been a long week for everyone.

As always, we prayed for our students, our principal and each other.

"God, please help our students to understand they are made of more than just a test score."

His words lifted me, yet also haunted me that day.  I had students in tears and literally sick this week because of their fear of not passing this test.  The pressure placed on these students diminishes their unique personalities, their love of learning, and the reason they are in school in the first place.  These scores do not define who they are.

Being a kid during testing week is not easy.  My students have been real troopers! They are my super heroes!  And not a single score can tell me otherwise!

SOLSC #3 - Let the Testing Season Begin

Thank you Two Writing Teachers
for sponsoring the March SOLSC

I can't tell you how many times I have deleted and rewritten this post, worried about hitting that publish button.  So many experts or teachers who have many more years of teaching experience than I, have written about standardized assessment.  

What could I possibly have to offer?  

Just my rambling thoughts.

My "writer's fear" is coming out, but I know I need to conquer it.  So here is my post...finally!

Tomorrow we begin our first round of state testing, otherwise referred to as the "testing season."  Friday night I read this tweet on Twitter, and it left me thinking.

Differentiation seems to be one of many buzz words in our school corporation.  I am an advocate of this type of teaching.  I truly believe it my responsibility to reach each of my students in whatever way is needed.

I believe in teaching the reader, not the reading.  I believe in teaching the writer, not the writing.  That is differentiation at its best.

This tweet says so much in such few words.  Yes, we are expected to teach each student, make accommodations, use small group instruction, and differentiate our instruction.  Then testing season begins, and all those ideals seem to lose their importance.  The importance is solely placed on the score.  Not the student.  Not where it should be.

We know students learn differently and teachers should instruct them differently, but standardized assessment is a one size fits all.  Is it right?  Is it fair?

One child + differentiation = one test.

Is there something wrong with this equation?