1. Students who struggle tend to crumble on Wednesday. (We spent a lot of time today playing peaceful music)
2. Students who struggle tend to only focus on the ones that count (reading and math).
3. Some parents will never understand the importance of this week and will continue to not care if there child is rested. (i.e. When the teacher has to wash a child's face to keep them awake during testing. Or how about having to wipe snot and tears so they don't soil the precious answer sheet.)
4. If you are afraid your faculty is getting lax, then throw in progress reports in the middle of a testing week. (This tends to push everyone!)
5. I teach on the same hall with people and never see them during this week (Monkey).
6. No matter how hard you try it is impossible to separate your self-worth as a teacher from these test scores.
7. You notice that by Wednesday you are singing songs about hard liquor early in the morning!
8. By Wednesday you are wondering if your liver will last the week! (or as one of us found out this week we can eat all but the kitchen sink! Trust me food is an addiction!)
9. As students are getting into fights, calling each other horrible names, and being obnoxious, you suddenly can feel the ocean breezes!
10. You rush home to check your phone and email and make sure that Lynard Skynard hasn't called needing a back up singer!
Actual conversation from today:
Boy: Why do we have to go to school?
Me: So you can grow up and lead a successful life.
Boy: Who says I need school to be successful.
Friend of Boy: You don't need school if you sell drugs.
Boy: And you make lots of money.
Me: But, if you are in jail you can't spend your money.
Boy: I won't get caught.
Me: If that is the life you choose one day you will get caught!
But most of all during this week you think of all the things you can do better. How you can still change the world. You think of all the triumphs (like finally getting students in the system to be tested that really need help). You hope that one day they will want to grow up and be somebody, not someone's drug dealer!
1 comment:
And I'll go one further for you - standardized testing makes you REALLY think about who you vote for - not just for the BIG job (although I suppose it matters, as that person appoints the education secretary) - but for your congressman, because JUST MAYBE that person will be the person to push through some decent legislation that takes into account the needs of CHILDREN rather than statistics. I don't believe in trickle-down economics (after all, those oil company profits sure aren't benefiting me), but I do believe in trickle-down stupid policy decisions. If you don't read Rethinking Schools, you should. *rant over* I have prayed for & thought about your kids & y'all all week. It sucks. I know it. And whenever I am given the opportunity, I speak for y'all & the kids, because someone freaking needs to. *rant really over*
Post a Comment