April Showers Bring May Flowers (Who Needs Standardized Testing?)

The end of the school year means taking stock of what I've taught and how the students have grown. It also means cleaning out the cobwebs both figuratively and literally.  I find myself getting rid of junk and somehow acquiring new junk as I think about what I'm going to need for next school year.

My team teacher and I have already begun thinking about next year; we're using classroom monies to purchase items that we may need next school year:  binders, copy paper, hole punches, staplers and staples, stickers, page protectors, plastic tubs.  We load up to make next year easier.

We're also loading up on items for next week's testing: pencils and erasers, snacks, motivational prizes, stickers, bottled water, peppermints...anything that we might need to make the grueling test week a little easier on the students and us.

Tricks and trials is what I like to call it.  Last minute details.  Here's one more thing that I need to tell you before next week...

Does it really do any good?  Is there a statistical tool to tell me if last minute test prep works?  What do NFL players do the week before the Super Bowl?  Do they spend each day (7 hours) on throwing and running and catching?  Do they play little games to help them remember strategies for gaining yards or stopping an opponent?  Does the coach go out and purchase little plastic footballs and helmets to motivate them to do better?  Do they decorate their lockers with candies and slogans like "we're smarties?"  

April Showers....Standardized Testing.  I hate thinking that this is what I've been working for...one 80-minute test.  I'm more than a number....my students are more than a number.  We're real people who've developed a relationship.  We've bonded over silly English jokes (What do you call Santa's Elves? Subordinate Clauses) and losses~two grandmas, one dog, three turtles, and one brother.  We've gotten annoyed and irritated with each other.  We've hugged and cried over the same stories.  We've written essays independently and shared them.  We've given each other constructive criticism and we have been less than kind to one another.  We've snapped and clapped when we saw improvement (Wow! You wrote an entire sentence!)

I celebrated my 51st birthday this year and received one of the sweetest notes from a student ever ("thank you for your effort and enthusiasm").  I've been observed three times this year and received above average scores.  I got four candles and over $50 in gift cards this year.  I've conferenced with 34 sets of parents and talked to twice as many on the phone or contacted by email.  At least two parents told me that they hoped that I had a "blessed year."  I did.

It all comes down to next week...one test on one day to determine if I'm an "effective" teacher.  No matter what the score, I know that I'm an effective teacher.  I know that parents appreciate me and students love me.  I know how much I work on the weekends and holidays to find just the right lesson for that special student.  I know how much pride I take in what I do.  Teaching is not a "choose the right answer" kind of job...it's a "let's work together to find a reasonable answer" kind of job.  It's not even really a job...it's who I am.  I am an English Teacher...I make a difference every single day in someone's life.  I don't need "value added" to make me feel better about myself...my value comes from what I give each day from my heart and soul.

April Showers really do bring May Flowers...my sixth-graders have blossomed.  I've most definitely had a blessed year.

Melissa