I'm not so frequent with this stuff...

...however!
There's been a WHOLE LOTTA DEBATE going on over at the Middle-L Listserv based in IL (but followed by hundreds of teachers throughout the country).  Read through the Archives for a rundown, then join and be entertained (aka: have your thoughts provoked!).  I've been a member of the listserv for years, but only recently has there been so much voicing of opinions - namely those regarding state high-stakes testing. 

Here in Texas, we give standardized tests in every grade from 3rd grade through 8th grade, and then (our NEW THING) 9-12th graders take End of Course exams for the core subjects (Algebra I-II, Geometry, English I-IV, Biology, etc.).  Personally, I think we're testing them to death.  When a 3rd grader comes to school with anxiety over such a test, there is a problem. 

Not SO long ago, when I was a public school student in Illinois, I remember my forty-some classmates and I taking the Iowa State Assessment Tests (ISAT) for reading and math cross-legged on the gym floor with my number two pencil and bubble sheet resting atop a textbook I was using for a lapdesk.  There was never a big deal made about it.  You weren't going to fail a grade or class or LIFE if you did poorly on it.  I don't even remember a teacher mentioning it before or after. My teachers didn't earn extra money if we did well, and they weren't considered bad teachers if we did poorly. I wasn't any better or any worse prepared for college because of these tests.  There was no anxiety associated with it.  And to me, that's the way it should be.

Data is valuable, but a data gathered from a standardized test should not be the ONLY for determining whether or not students are learning and teachers are teaching well.  An interesting article today on The Answer Sheet compiles results from two surveys given to teachers about teaching issues.  Turns out, most of the teachers who took one of these surveys agrees with me.

Education reform is always spouted as part of any candidates political agenda.  Seems to me that unless a politician has been a teacher, they shouldn't be setting agendas or policy.  Those of us who doing the "dirty work" should get some say in how things are done.  But we don't.  Let's work toward changing that, shall we?

Even if you don't teach

I ran across khanacademy.org the other day.  I now plan to use it with all of my math students, since I have every level of math proficiency.  Check it out.  Even if you don't need or want to use it yourself, I'm willing to bet that you know someone who does.  I showed it to one of my teacher aides today and she is planning on using it with her grandson, who just started 4th grade, and her daughter, who is in college. 

Unprofessional... or "What to do about Sally*"

The phrase "What I'm about to say might be unprofessional, but...." is usually followed by something unflattering and, shockingly,  true about someone else.  Sally* shows up once a week to help with any computer or software issues that any of our 26 faculty and staff members might be having.  This is ironic because she doesn't know the first thing about technology and is so flighty that she often forgets what it was she was asked to do before even starting on the project.  As a fairly tech-savvy individual who enjoys using gadgets and software to make learning fun, I rarely need help unless it's a substantial issue.  When this happens, I avoid Sally* at all costs.

Today, a higher-up in the district stops by my classroom to visit about a new gadget that should be coming in within the next month.  She begins with: "This might be unprofessional, but don't ask Sally* to help with this gadget."  I laughed.  Because I knew this already.  Obviously.

Paperwork.

Teaching has always been about paperwork.  Documentation, grading, office referrals, detention slips, etc.... But Special Ed. paperwork is a WHOLE other ballgame.  It's only the second week of school, and I have used a whole ream of white paper, and half a ream of the neon green paper that teachers sign when they get Special Ed. documents from me.  I have cut down on the paper usage since last year, however, by requesting electronic copies of most forms. 

Since my kiddos are only with me for 30 school days or so, there's paperwork when they come in and when they go back to their home campus.  *Insert a sarcastic "yippy" here.

One week down...

...and what a week it was.

Currently I'm taking a break from a mound of Special Ed paperwork - more on that later.

First, a bit about my particular teaching situation.  After teaching English for 5 years at the middle and high school level, I am now teaching Special Education at a Disciplinary Alternative Ed. Program. Our students get a placement of 30 days, and must complete them successfully in order to return to their home campus.  Sometimes, it can take them much longer to complete these days. 

I teach grades 6-12, all four core subjects, except for middle school social studies or science.  That means I could potentially be teaching up to 24 different courses at any given time.  Currently, I have two high school students and half a dozen middle schoolers.  It's a big district, so I get students from five different high schools and twelve different middle schools.  And did I mention that I'm the ONLY 6-12th grade Special Ed teacher at my school?  I have teacher aides who handle all of my content mastery support (which is a pull-out program for students who only need minimal help), and I do all of the modified or fundamentals classes.  It's a lesson planning nightmare. 

The upside?  Job security.  At least I hope so....