It's been a busy week this week and judging from the last time I've posted, it's been a very busy week and a half! First off this week, we had UT Math testing. Our school is doing a pilot program with some professors from the University of Texas Math Department. They are developing a remedial math program (that I'm assuming they intend to market) for students who are really clueless about math. They come in and test at the beginning of the year when they test to apply for the program. The lowest students, who are not ESL, are enrolled in the program with parental permission and everyday for about 20 minutes, they go to a different room for additional math instruction. In the middle of the year, they test for progress and now near the end of the year, they test all kids again to compare progress in math between students who are in the program and those who are not. It's five days of testing for 45 minutes. That's a lot of instructional time. It's a lot of instructional time when we are admonished by our principal to not forget that we still have a significant amount of time in which to further get our kids along the learning curve. And yet, we spend 45 minutes for five days testing. Sometimes, education drives me crazy. The people who work with the kids in the program seem to see a difference. I don't, but I measure on the district's semester test (CBA) and that measures different math skills. I LIKE the people from UT and I agree with them that kids who need math basics need to get them before they can move onto more complex math procedures like double digit addition or subtraction with regrouping.... what I object to is the amount of time kids are out of the classroom. The kids that are in the UT Math program are the same kids in my room who came in reading at a Kindergarten level. They have got issues across the board so they are shuffled in and out of my room for math , then reading, then discipline. But hey, they have to pass that TAKS test next year in third grade . . . retention isn't an option . . and don't even think about having them tested for some kind of learning disability . . . It's a difficult situation. Thank you NCLB and Mr. Bush. The hope is though, that since NCLB is up for a new vote that it can be changed to REALLY help kids succeed instead of leaving them behind which is what really happens. The "No Child Left Behind" Act does not allow for individual development. All kids are supposed to learn at the federal government's timeline and woe be to the teachers and their students who don't learn at that pace.... (sigh) It's challenging to be a teacher right now. I can only work to further hone my teaching skills for maximum impact. My friend Kelly sent me a funny email using the NCLB criteria with a football analogy. I'm going to paste it here:
NCLB-- The Football Version
1. All teams must make the state playoffs and all MUST win the championship. If a team does not win the championship, they will be on probation until they are champions and coaches will be held accountable. If after two years they have not won the championship, their footballs and equipment will be taken away UNTIL they do win the championship.
2. All kids will be expected to have the same football skills at the same time, even if they do not have the same conditions or opportunities to practice on their own. NO exceptions will be made for a lack of interest in football, a desire to perform athletically or genetic abilities or disabilities of themselves or their parents. ALL KIDS WILL PLAY FOOTBALL AT A PROFICIENT LEVEL!
3. Talented players will be asked to work out on their own, without instruction. This is because the coaches will be using all their instructional time with the athletes who aren't interested in football, have limited athletic ability or whose parents don't like football.
4. Games will be played year round, but statistics will only be kept in the 4th, 8th and 11th games. This will create a New Age of Sports where every team is expected to have the same level of talent and all teams will have the same minimum goals. If no child gets ahead, then no child gets left behind. If parents do not like this new law, they are encouraged to vote for vouchers and support private schools that can screen out the non-athletes and prevent their children from having to go to school with bad football players.
O.k. maybe it's not so funny after all.
Good news is that I was able to host a BeadForLife party at school on Wednesday. We've already made $800.00 for the women and children in Uganda where it is desperately needed. Bead for Life is an incredible organization and I hope you will take a few minutes and look at their website: www.beadforlife.org and if at all possible, host your own party and help those who need it. Next week and the week after, my students will be selling the beads during the last 25 minutes of school to students who would like to buy a necklace or bracelet for their mother for Mother's Day. My students are so very excited about helping out the children in Uganda. We will also be learning about Uganda and the African continent, learn some Swahili and further expand our intellectual horizons while helping others in a service project. It's a good thing and I'm proud that we are making it happen. Stay tuned for the final total on May 11th!
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