A Momentary Rant

Some days you teach, some days you mentor. Some days you hope to teach, ready to with lesson plans and manipulatives and worksheets and information that will aid your students, and tests get in the way. Not just one day of tests, but many days, delaying all learning until the students feel exhausted by the numerous questions with bubbles that require filling, the essays that require writing in response to open ended questions that the student cares little about, the reading that bores them only to prod them like cattle to answer more questions with little bubbles. Like sheep herded, they all follow along, one after the other, bubble fillers, all. I actually understand the need for assessment. However, currently, my students coming to me for such short periods of time, lose all of their lesson time in order to fulfill the testing quota of state tests, benchmarks and preparation for a series of tests that will be administered in the next month. Do you ever feel like there is just never enough time to accomplish the goals you set forth for yourself as a teacher? We set such high standards for ourselves, ready to take our kids (our students) to new heights, to show them the gifts they possess and their ability to use them. They, in turn, show us their desire to learn, their ability to share their lives, and the skills they have acquired. Teaching isn't all about the test, teaching to it or otherwise.... teaching is about the students and working with them to help them learn how to succeed.