The Testing Blues

In light of the MCT, our school is trying to make the necessary changes to enable our students to be successful. The administration is making all kinds of changes as we get closer to the MCT. Including Saturday school, block schedule, and teaching only math, reading, and language arts. I am a science teacher, and I am required to spend two days a week teaching math. The math teacher and I collaborate to ensure that the students are learning the same things in both classes. We try to give the students a double dose of math. I also give the students homework in math. All science teachers are suppose to teach math at least twice a week. All teachers in the school are to help the subject area teachers. Subject area teachers include math, reading, and language arts teachers.
Next week we are giving our fourth practice MCT. The week after that we will be going to block schedule. During block schedule, the plan is to teach only math, reading and language arts. All other teachers will be assisting the subject area teachers. They will not be teaching at all. We will sit in the subject area teacher’s classes and ensure that all students are on task. We will basically be helping with discipline. The subject area teachers will be teaching two class for two consecutive class periods. The students will be taught nothing but math, reading, and language arts up until the MCT. After the test we are going back to the regular schedule.
The school started Saturday school this week. The same teachers that teach extended school teach Saturday school. Extended school is for students who are struggling in the subject areas. The students stay after school for extra help on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. The students also get extra points in the classes and a snack for attending. The students attend Saturday school from nine to twelve. The students get extra points for the class they attend and pizza for attending and being on task and engage for the entire four hours.
We are doing this with only one month left until MCT. I can’t help but think that we are doing this too late. Is it ok too overload students with this much information.? Is this effort too little too late? This is what we talked about in class this weekend. Is NCBL putting too much pressure on our students? Our students are not learning to be life long learners. They are learning how to pass a test. I think, we are destroying our students love for learning. The students at my school constantly complain about the amount they are tested. All teachers are supposed to give an SPMS test on every Wednesday. We also give our regular tests and the practice MCT test. By the time the MCT comes around our students will be worn out with testing. Everyday I see more and more of my students becoming unmotivated by school. I think that many of my students will become drop outs. I think, this over testing will increase the drop out rate. Many of my students dislike school already. With this extra testing their dislike for school is increasing.

Teaching As A Career

Lately I have been thinking about whether or not I want to pursue teaching as my career path. I know the value of education. I know it is important that our children receive an adequate education. I know it is important that our students know how to read and write. I just do not think I am the person to do the job. I do not have the long term patients. I love teaching for now, but I am not sure if I will continue to have that passion. I really care about my students and I really want to be there for them. I can’t help but think that I am being selfish. I should continue to give back and help youth, but I just can’t see my self being happy in the long term with teaching. There are too many failures and too little successes. The students do not care and have bad attitudes. For now I can deal with these things. I think, later in life I will not be able to deal with these unmotivated, bad attitude children. For now I am up to the challenge and I love my job. I love being there for my children and being a role model. I like being someone for my girls to look up too. I like letting them know that I am no different from them. I tell them all the time, that they can achieve anything that they put there minds to. They just need to be motivated and determined. I have formed so many personal relationships with my students. It hard sometimes to not cross the line. Many of my students tell me what is going on with their home lives. I just wonder what can I do to help my students. One of my students recently put herself into a mental hospital. She was out of school for two weeks. The reason she checked herself in was because she could no longer handle her home life. Many of students do not live with there mothers or fathers. They live with their grandmothers. It just hurts when I think about the home lives many of my children have. No wonder they have bad attitudes and are unmotivated. Many of them have to worry about surviving from day to day. These are the reasons I love teaching. You get a chance to be a bright spot for so many children who’s lives are always dark. Just to see the kids smiling and laughing brings joy to my life. Children can be happy no matter what is going on in their lives. They are so precious and innocent. Of course, these are the same unmotivated children fighting, and refusing to be quiet. I just try to remember that someone caused them to be the way they are. All behaviors have reasons. I guess, I will continue to go back and forth about teaching, but for now I love my job and my students.