My Torture Chamber

I apologize to my loyal readers for not posting regularly in the past couple of weeks. I've been doing mean things to kids, all in the name of TESTING.

Here is a violent run-down of what's been keeping me occupied:

1. Squeezing in more math skills
2. Cramming in more writing
3. Force-feeding hideously long reading passages to "practice" comprehension
4. Killing the love of writing because they are making me teach formulaic strategies for responding to writing prompts
5. Hanging up signs, posters, and other "nice-looking" items on every available blank space, because an important person will be visiting next week
6. Slapping up extra vocabulary words on my Word Wall because K and X "are empty" and a few of the other letters don't have "enough"

I'm sorry kids, but they make me do it.

The mistreatment is self-inflicted as well. I've confined myself to my dark, damp basement to grade papers, do report cards, and write lesson plans. Meanwhile, it's 88 and gorgeous outside.

Our state test is scheduled to begin on May 4th. Until then, and until it's over, more gritting of teeth and relentless stress.

Can't wait to take back my classroom. Can't wait to read and write real stories and poems together. Can't wait for exciting math projects. Looking forward to returning to the kind of teaching and learning that actually means something.

Feelin' good and cozy about tests

Today and tomorrow, my school will be in "testing mode". Instead of teaching reading and writing during the customary uninterrupted Literacy Block from 10:30 -12:00, we will all have a "simulation test".

This test is actually a district benchmark math assessment which someone thought could also serve as a simulation for the actual state test. (Brilliant!) In other words, all students from Kindergarten through fourth grade will be tested today.

The "Quiet, TESTING" signs will be up on all of the doors, there will be silence in the halls, proctors will be assigned to every room, and an announcement from the principal will call for the testing to begin and end at the prescribed times. Those of you who are familiar with testing may also know that since my students are ELLs, they have certain accommodations, such as time and a half. Where the general program might have 45 minutes for a particular section, mine have 67. Some students use the time, some don't. Most get frustrated.

All this so our students will feel "comfortable" with the testing environment and time constraints.

My fourth graders are looking at two days of 46 pages containing 50 multiple choice and open-ended questions. A lot of the material on it has not yet been "covered". How can it be? We're always testing!

There's a district reading benchmark test which is supposed to take place "some time" next week; administration is not sure when. We'll also have a district writing benchmark assessment the first week in February.

You know, to make the students feel comfortable with testing.

The language of learning and teaching

This field has its own "language", which often includes confusing acronyms and expressions that may vary from district to district. Several years ago, I came across this list and have shared it several times while mentoring new teachers. I've even brought it to the attention of parents while conducting workshops.

I was somewhat surprised more like incredibly disappointed when, during a conversation with teachers from outside my district, one individual did not know what AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) was. Are you kidding me? I suppose I'm overly-sensitive to this acronym, and NCLB, as they loom in the background of everything I do am supposed to be doing in my classroom. Perhaps the individual who didn't know what AYP was, is fortunate to teach in a school where TESTING has not taken over.

Check out the Lexicon of Learning, save it to your favorites. You may find it useful when preparing for a presentation or an argument with your principal.

Four more days

I am totally inundated. I still have 4th marking period assessments to correct, data sheets to complete, recommendations to write up, standardized test scores to examine and save to a spreadsheet, and cumulative folders to check and sign off on. All of this has to be done by Friday.

Report cards are due to the office on Friday as well.

Not fair. Two of my preps have already been taken from me this week! One was this morning, when I had to meet with the Child Study Team regarding one of my students. My grade level team had to meet yesterday morning with the principal to discuss the STATE TEST SCORES, which left us all somewhat stressed out. And tomorrow, during my prep, a representative from the new science program will be at school to give us a walk-through of the new materials.

For those who don't work in schools, a "prep" is a daily work period, allocated by contract to a teacher. The prep is used for lesson planning, marking papers, making copies, contacting and meeting with parents, record-keeping, grade-level articulation, and acquiring materials for class. You get to use the ladies room too!

Of course, this daily period (in my case, 45 minutes) is neither enough nor realistic. I end up working through my lunch, and bringing home a very, heavy bag, filled with paperwork. It's my life as a teacher. This 15-minute "break" I just spent posting tonight is my small "me-time" and a way of letting folks out there know that, for many of us, the last days of school are very trying. And the days that come after, are very well-deserved.

Back to work I go - caramba!

Pointing fingers

The kids from DR and Mexico were in for it
they didn’t know how cold it would get
their lips were soon outlined in chapped red
and cracked when they tried to utter sounds and syllables
it was all I could do to make it as painless as possible
giving cariño as needed.

The girls from Honduras and Cuba resented me
as I added and added yet more
to their confusion.
The boys from Peru and PR shut down,
it was all too much.
Get ready! Prepare!
Learn more! Learn fast!
I at least had coffee and painkillers.

The room turned in to a prison
despite vivid posters, artwork,
and motivational slogans.
I was made the deliverer
of wasteful activities
timed and torturous
the rubric-enforcer
and score-keeper.

The papers still say the children of mi gente
are in trouble, apathetic,
destined to fail.
The public is pointing a finger at me?
I point it back.
You will see.