Testing, Testing, Testing

Tomorrow my students will begin day 1 of our standardized testing.  In addition, this is my first round of testing in my teaching career.  I feel anxious and just want this week to be over with.  Although I am not paid based upon test scores I feel the pressure for my students to perform well or I will look like I did not do a good job teaching.  Further, I want to prove to my principal as a first year teacher I did a good job.  However, test scores should not prove this-other authentic assessments and observations should prove this. Unfortunately this is the testing world we live in.  We need a national education movement to redirect learning to better our children. Curriculum that encourages critical thinking and problem solving not test taking 101.  This is a great article from a blog that explains who funds the new core standards as well as our tests: http://rdsathene.blogspot.com/2011/05/professor-michael-moore-cornering.html.

Also, read this article by Dianne Ravitch, I absoutely love reading what she has to say: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-05-10/arne-duncans-open-letter-makes-teachers-furious/#

My goal for next year is to write more on this blog about educational issues plaguing our world.  I know that it is not going to get any better in the near future so its going to be a hard fight in order for our children to receive a quality education.

April

Again, it has been months since I've posted.  I have so many ideas spinning in my head I do not know where to begin.  I have school, political, and personal issues all swirling and swirling in my head.  We are almost to the end of the school year-5 more days until spring break.  Unfortunately, I am teaching test taking strategies instead of teaching content.  I cannot wait until the end of the school year, however, this year has really proved to me that teaching is what I want to do.  I know I cannot do this forever making the pay I do but I absolutely love to do it.  Most days I am too tired to do anything when I come home but I know in the end it is all worth it.  I have so many goals for next year based upon what I have learned this year with my class that I cannot wait to initiate them.  However, we need to get there first.  I will find out if I have a job May 15th due to budget cuts.  I'm definitely going to make a post about that when it comes-until then I am going to keep continuing to fight the struggle and help my students learn each and every day.

February came and (is almost) gone

The weather is getting warmer and my students are gradually becoming crazier.  The warm weather has brought upon 4th grade: relationships, disrespectful behavior and chatting (and chatting and chatting and chatting.)  I have a lot of days where I feel really great about my career, school and students and then I have days (like today) where I feel stressed out, anxious, and isolated.  I have great support at school but the pressure put upon teachers cannot be described to a non-educator.  I absolutely enjoy what I do, however, something needs to be done about our workload and compensation.

Today I had my third and final observation.  I was told yesterday that my principal needed to fit me in before this Friday so we could discuss what I needed to improve by April for my summative.  I understand that it was necessary to do that, BUT, she came into my classroom with one of our PD instructors from a workshop we completed a couple weeks ago.  Now, I knew that we were going to be observed by this instructor-but seriously did she need to come in to observe when I was getting observed by my principal.  That is double stress!  The reason why the instructor came in was to make sure we were implementing what was said during the workshop.  I usually am not intimidated by anyone, however, having two strong women in the back of my room whom I admire was very stressful.  In addition, they were whispering and of course watching each step I was doing.  Out of my colleagues, of course I was the only one that was observed by both women.  I'm going to discuss this with my mentor tomorrow but it was something that I needed to get off my chest.

In other news, I'm thinking about what is going on in Wisconsin daily.  They are fighting for their rights to collectively bargain-somehting i wish we could do in North Carolina.  I truly think we are going to be pushed and pushed and pushed until we are going to pop.  NC teachers have not gotten a salary increase in 4 years.  I cannot support a family with the money I am making.  I love the education field but really need to reconsider what I want to do with my life because I do not see teaching improving in the near future-unless we put up a strong fight!!!  In solidarity with Wisconsin workers!!!