I'm inspired by a fellow blogger and challenge myself to an entry a day for the remainder of March. Here's a start--perhaps of something reasonably good.
Tomorrow I give the FCAT test to a small group of students. High-stakes testing, I hate it. The students I'll test are not likely to do well, so it's my job to encourage--even cheerlead a bit. I bought snacks; I know the drill. I still hate the whole idea of it. Last week another teacher at our school told the juniors (who are retaking the test) they should take the test "as if your life depended on it---because it does." Just what kids who've failed the test already need to hear, right? That's simply too high a stake! Dum, da, dum, da DUM! Your life?! Not even close! Don't pass this time? There is another time. Chances will come again and again. The quality of the test iteself is questionable; that's the nicest word I can think for it. Students may score a 15 on the ACT reading to substitute for the FCAT score. They may take the test as many times as they like. The messages they should be hearing are much simpler. There are many roads to every goal. Some obstacles are arbitrary, but we overcome them anyway. You can do this. You will do this. Not, never--you better do this. Seems to me that no message makes a passive-aggressive teenager want to perform less. But what do I know? I'm just a teacher.
3 comments:
You've always had such a real-world sensibility that is healthy for kids. I think they'll like your approach--and the snacks.
As the parent of a student who is likely to end up in the MUST category at some time, I can only hope she has a teacher with enough sense and sensitivity to help her understand that MUST and CAN are not mutually exclusive.
We don't test until next week, BTW. We'll see how it goes.
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