Totally off topic - but I'm pleased...

[Veronica]

So I feel like my job stinks, my students seem to lack the abilitiy to do any higher thinking skills. They are the champions of the stupid question. Yes there are stupid questions. And how many times must I answer the same question because they don't listen to each other...

Last year's group was much the same way. But I got my state testing results today from last year. In the 5 different Language Arts areas my class last year scored 5 - 9% higher than the state average in all areas. I know that's not an important statistical deviation - but they were all higher! And I don't think of Language Arts as my area of strength. And I did more of my own thing and not so much of the state adopted text. (BORING!) My boss is often on me to do more of the state adopted text.

Math which I consider my area of strength was not so good overall. I was -1% in one area, over by 2% in two. But the other two areas were +10% and + 15%.

So, well testing isn't everything - it's nice to see I don't actually suck at this and my kids did learn something. Or they are just really good guessers.

Maybe there's hope for this year's group.


V.

[shewhobikes]

What year/s or grades do you teach? They can't be "just good guessers" for the whole of them to improve by percentage points, you know. Give yourself all the credit that you're due! You must be a good teacher.

And speaking of off-topic, if you hate your job you should write copy for Patagonia. I lusted after the cashmere hoody you described and bought it. I love it, too! I took my oldest daugher (HS senior) on a college visit trip this week up East. (We just got home tonight.) My hoody was my constant wraparound companion all week. Thanks for the tip!

[Veronica]

I don't really hate my job. But there does seem to be a downward trend in the behavior and academic readiness. I've been treaching for 13 years. And these kids seem to need a lot of attention - positive or negative. I think that's where a lot of the dumb questions come in.

I used to be able to give the students a task and they could work for 30 - 60 minutes with little input from me. This group can't work for a minute. They don't want or don't know how to do any independent thinking. I'm not sure how to teach that. I do find that when I tell them they have to think for 5 minutes before I'll help them - they often to seem to figure out what to do. That gets old though.

I'm glad you like the sweater. What color did you get? I've got black and I'dike to get a pink.

V.

[SadieKate]

You should feel good about this. There is great satisfaction to be found in helping others to succeed. Considering your frustration with this year's class, I think you need to keep hope for this year's group. That or set aside a large chunk of your budget for Advil and Alcohol which is not recommended.

[Veronica]

You should feel good about this. There is great satisfaction to be found in helping others to succeed. Considering your frustration with this year's class, I think you need to keep hope for this year's group. That or set aside a large chunk of your budget for Advil and Alcohol which is not recommended.

I don't really drink. I think it's because I like things to be really cold. So when I do drink it's those always those slushy things. The smell of beer makes me want to hurl.

I do wonder if I'm allergic to something in my room - or the smelly stuff one of my kids wears. He just reeks some days! Today I told him he needed to go a little lighter on the spray. You could smell it across the room.

V.

[JanT]

Veronica,
When I taught LD resource, I always felt like I was spinning my wheels, that the kids were not really progressing. Then I'd do my end of the year assessments and found out that they really had learned alot. So, congrats on your testing results, and know that you are reaching kids. And I would guess you are teaching many other things besides "the test," and your students are growing in ways that no test can assess. All your efforts are worth the energy spent. Go forth and teach! And then ride all your frustrations away!
Jan

[pkq]

Sounds like you are doing a good job to me, since their scores were higher than state averages last year. The bunch this year will probably surprise you next year.

Teaching is one of the most important professions and so underpaid considering the charge of the profession, i.e., developing the little minds today to lead tomorrow. I am glad to know some kids have you as their teacher!

Keep up the good work and enjoy the rest of the year. It takes special people such as yourself to teach.

[Surlygirl]

I'm one of the parents who hates the MCAS tests in Massachusetts. I think they have stifled teachers and creativity in the classroom. Everyone teaches for the test all year. There are no more interesting projects or creative teaching. Kids never learn how to think outside the box. What if a kid is just not good at taking tests. Should that be our only measure?
I admire teachers, I know I couldn't do it. In the age of instant gratification, cell phones, videos, computers, and xbox, its a wonder you can keep their attention at all!!!!

[Civa]

My two cents to a fellow biker---teachers deserve our utmost respect, encouragement and appreciation. My children range from 5th thru 11th grade, and I have seen what they are up against. I too think it gets harder and harder to teach. And I shouldn't even get started on the testing issue. Next week my daughter will not start school until noon for 3 days---as the sophmores will be undergoing testing. And lets not forget the PRACTICE tests! I'm glad that you as a teacher have found satisfaction in your test results. But I place less importance on that performance ruler than on the effect you and all of our teachers have on our children's lifes. Now go ride your bike!

[Veronica]

I think they have stifled teachers and creativity in the classroom. Everyone teaches for the test all year. There are no more interesting projects or creative teaching. Kids never learn how to think outside the box.

That's one reason I was so thrilled with my scores. We're supposed to use this really boring text. Most of the stories have no meat to them. I did three units from it and taught five age appropriate novels instead. Three of which are adopted by my district as Core Lit. The other two were Lit. Circles - kind of like a book club. 4 kids read the same book and discuss it. So I had 8 different books being read in my class at the same time. Makes for a lively classroom.

Considering that my kids scored above the district average, I would say my approach worked. And I did not have all super brilliant kids.

The trouble is - our kids as a group are failing. And no politician really wants to put the blame where it belongs. There are people who should not have children, but they do and they don't take any responsibility for their kids' education or moral values. And I'm not talking about religion. I mean basic things that most people agree are wrong - lying, stealing, cheating and abuse of others.

25% of my students this year have questionable home lives. And I teach in a pretty decent area.


V.

[DirtDiva]

Kudos to you, V. You've obviously made their learning interesting and relevant, which is the holy grail of teaching if you ask me. I've been in a lot of different classrooms since I started teaching over here. I'm constantly amazed at how much evidence I see of teachers teaching to conventions rather than teaching to meet students' needs, and believe me, kiddos in North/East London (where almost all my work is) have plenty of 'em.

One of my friends had a pretty effective (for that class, at least - I think they were a little younger than yours, but still not the easiest lot) system for getting rid of the stupid questions: c 3 b4 me. Basically, the kids had to ask someone else at their table, someone else in their group and then someone else in a higher group before they were allowed to ask her.

[CorsairMac]

I think this deserves another cashmere jersey my friend! Isn't funny sometimes how these things just "pop-up" at just the right time! I never taught but I've worked and sung with kids for years and it always seems there's a "cycle" they go through where there just seems to be a difficult group or groups for a few years and then !bingo! the next groups or groups are just awesome. I like your teaching methods btw - I had some teachers in high school that followed the teaching text - we sat in the back of the class and played euchre!! Keep up the good work hun - you are a role model in so many ways - to so many people!

[Crankin]

Veronica, you mirror some of my daily frustrations, too. This is my 29th year of teaching (I can hardly believe that) and the students do seem to be more dependent and unable to show evidence of higher level thinking. But, as you, my test scores are always higher than the state and district average. I do not teach to the test; everything I do gets them ready. That includes literature circles and tons of every imaginable kind of writing. My mantra is "explain your thinking and use supporting evidence." My new sixth graders are struggling more than usual. Thank God I have them for 2 years, because you can do a lot more with them when you loop. They are a nice group of kids, so I deal with it. I think that as a whole, many parents just baby their kids and do not give them any responsibility. Then when they are held accountable for doing some hard work on their own, the **** hits the fan. Then there are the parents who don't or can't care. That's another issue. I have to tell parents that they should take the TV out of the bedroom, turn off the IM, take away the cell phone. I work in a very diverse suburban district, with kids in 600,000 dollar homes and ones who just immigrated from Brazil or Portugal, or other S. American countries. My district has been anti- MCAS, but even now our superintendent, who is known across the country for being an expert on social and emotional learning is falling prey to the pressure because our math scores are not that great. Thankfully, next year is my last year (I'd like it to be this year, but I hate to leave the kids in the middle of a loop). I plan on getting a job where there is no homework and I have plenty of time to ride my bike. But first, I am going to take a vacation in September or October... preferably to Italy, on my bike.

[Trekhawk]

I am going to take a vacation in September or October... preferably to Italy, on my bike.

Ooohhh Italy that sounds fabulous.
We want pictures if you go.

[wabisabi]

Thanks to all of you for doing good work with your students; we in higher ed appreciate it when they get to us !