Testing Insanity

I think we can all agree that the No Child Left Behind guidelines are crazy. How can we say that by a certain year ALL children will reach an idealized level of proficiency no matter what their challenges? 


What about the child in special education?


What about the second language learner?


What about the child who has an unstable home life?


What about the child who isn't developmentally ready to master a concept?


Does a 10 year old REALLY have to identify present and past participles by name? How can they face the world without knowing the chemical formula for photosynthesis and cellular respiration before their 11th birthday? If you think I'm kidding, check the California State Standards.


I am all for teacher accountability, if it is realistic and dignifies the educator. I am all for state standards that serve as a guideline/checklist for what a child in a given grade needs to learn.


I am vehemently opposed to a one day snapshot - the annual standardized tests - that defines a student's proficiency as a learner.


Here is an article by Marion Brady that I'm urging you to read. I guarantee it will fire you up.
When An Adult Took Standardized Tests Forced on Kids


A disturbing trend in education has developed (past participle). One where teachers are being forced to "teach to the test" or their job may be at stake. 


I have been an educator for over twenty-five years and I am sorry to say this trend/reality is leaching (present participle) the joy out of teaching. 


To all my brothers and sisters in education:

You matter

You are heroes

Hold on to the joy

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Teacher/Writer Interface

First of all, thank you all for your patience. I've been a crummy blogger lately. Two words... report cards. I'll be back to blog visitin' this week.

 

Do you ever find yourself grumbling about the way your "day job" interferes with your writing life? I know I do. Last week I had to smack myself upside the head and lay out all the ways teaching 5th grade, my day job, is actually a benefit to my writing. Here are some of the perks:

• Exposure to AMAZING kid lit.  - From the Allie Finkle Books (Thank You, Meg Cabot) through Donald Zinkoff in LOSER (Thank you, Jerry Spinelli), I languish in delicious middle grade stories and a myriad of different voices.
• Getting kids jazzed about books - I'm handing out the Hobbit like candy. I want them to read it before the movie comes out.
• Interacting with our school librarian - We chat about trends and recommend titles to one another.
• Daily living with a kid POV on the world - Yes, these people have a whole different mind set.
• Discussing lit. with my fellow teachers - "Ah Ha" moments abound when we talk about the different approaches to kid/literature interaction.
• Teaching grammar - Need I say more. Some days I get as much out of a lesson as the kids.
• Critical Thinking and Literary Analysis - Practicing this on a daily basis using the solid gold writing of others shines up my own work.

How does your "day job" interface with your writing?

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