fallout

i think the worst part of standardized testing is the fallout. once kids finish their tests, it's next to impossible to get them to focus on anything else. i have a group of kids in the afternoon who are basically incapable of just relaxing with something that's not super structured, so they still have work to do up til the end of the school year. they are not happy about it--other teachers are showing movies or letting kids do whatever but basically i have too much to do, and my kids can't handle it. so we're doing regular work. and they are being a little bit disruptive. the school also makes kind of weird decisions. today after lunch, there was a "meeting" which was basically an assembly about 8th grade activities. (promotion, dinner dance, picnic). i arrive with my students, and the AP is already yelling at other classes. i can't figure out why and chances are that there's no real reason. this particular administrator seems to be in a bad mood before assemblies begin. i wish that he could have come to the assemblies that have happened recently (he's been out for a few months) and seen that the kids did fine without being yelled at. maybe i will get to be like that when i've been teaching for longer, too, but i really hope that if i get to that point, i will quit.

so i have to sit and listen to an adult yell at my students and all other students for like half an hour. i HATE listening to adults yell. i try to never yell. i just don't think it helps.

it's so weird, too, because the administrators use all of this complicated language like "it is important that expectations are made clear to you" that a lot of my kids don't follow. if you really want them to listen, just talk to them in a simple and direct way. all this roundabout doesn't work in the classroom and it really doesn't work with 200+ kids sitting in a big auditorium listen to a white dude yell at them from stage.

so yeah. that's my rant. testing went okay this morning and right before the tests, my kids said, "aren't you going to cheer for us?" and i realized that i said i would cheer for them with my pom poms. so i took them out and seriously did a cheerleading cheer. they loved it, so i wrote cheers for the next three days:

Wednesday: Test is History, Part I
History, it is cool
You have learned so much in school
You are smart
and such good readers
kick some butt
you can beat it
remember facts and big ideas
you can do it
forget your fears!

Thursday: History Test Part II
History, it is cool.
You have learned so much in school.
Work harder on part II
than you did on art I
You'll feel so good
then you'll be done

Friday: Language Arts Part I
This is your moment
get ready to read
You have the skills
that you will need

Your reading and writing has gotten
so good this year
feel good about yourselves
forget your fears

proficient is your goal
i know you can do it
you ready? you set?
let's get to it!

So yeah--cute, huh? it was amazing how excited they were when i pulled down the pom poms and pretended to be a cheerleader. fun!