opinion proof

"For students who struggle academically, high stakes testing can diminish both their self-efficacy for learning and their motivation to attempt academic pursuits" (Content Area Reading 2011)

Students that are poor testers may be wonderful writers and/or artist. They may be able to tell you all about a subject BUT test poorly. By judging the student and thus the teacher solely on these high-stakes standardized test we are telling students what they can do is not good enough. It tells students that what motivates and interest them isn't important. Thus we limit their choices in school and ultimately can end up limiting their futures based on a bubble test.

"Some students simply do not test well. Many students are affected by test anxiety or do not show their learning well on a standardized test, resulting in inaccurately lower scores.... But if students do not have access to an adequate and equitable education, they end up being held accountable while the system is not. States must take responsibility and be held accountable for providing a strong educational opportunity for all."(http://www.fairtest.org/dangerous-consequences-highstakes-standardized-tes)

"Getting to know You, Getting to know all about you."

As a teacher it is very important to know your students. And the sooner you understand something about their background and skill set the sooner you can get to authentic learning. One way I would use to get to know students family is an informal newsletter to the parents. It would introduce me to them, offer them ways they can reach me with questions. In the letter I would provide a basic form for parents to fill out about themselves and their child. It would be an ice breaker, questions would be about favorite foods, holidays, books, and music. I know not all parents would fill out the form, but it would be a good place to start.

More formally, I would want to have a parent night within the first two weeks of school. At that time I would set up individual meetings with parents over the course of the next week. This is a good way to open communication with the family as a whole.

On a day to day basis I would have my kids draw or write about themselves thru various prompted journal quick writes. I would start the first day of class with various work that was both educational and observational assessment. Like Putting a big word on the board and seeing how many new smaller words the kids can find. Maybe do some math drills about basic counting.adding/subtraction in teams. Maybe have the kids pick books from the in class library and take turns reading to each other.

I teach Pre-k at church now and try to sy hi and how are you doing to each parent as they drop their kids off. I don't always know the kids in my class but I try to learn their name within two Sunday; and hopefully their personalities. Already I am applying various things to my class, such as the newsletter.

The more I learn, the better I hope to be at teaching my kids-now and in my future class.

i hab a told....

No really, I have a cold. It is just the sniffily kind of cold. But I'd much rather have no kind of cold. I am praying it dissipates quickly.


I am enjoying my classes, although I am not sure I am quite caught up. Or maybe it just still feels like catch up after all the missed classes from snow. I have three test next week. The one I am most worried about is ASL. We will have to sign back and be right. Lord help me. 

Well, I am good for now. Time to study.

It won't be long before We'll all be there with...

snow, Snow, SNOW!

Crazy weather. Another foot on the way overnight-geez! Other than a couple blizzards when I lived in Colorado Springs I don't remember ever seeing so much snow at one time, and in Oklahoma of all places. It is pretty to look at. We are all stocked up and ready for the next round. Hope to be back in school next week.