One Battle Ends...

So the ELA is officially behind us. Sigh of relief. By next Thursday the math exam will be over as well. This of course means the struggle over test prep will be over. Unfortunately, it will be May. Which means a whole other type of battle will begin.

The battle will be with the students and with myself. At this point in the year, the students sense summer vacation around the corner. With the tests so late this year, I have a feeling this anticipation of freedom will only be heightened. I'll do my best to combat it with the usual, "I'm looking to see who's ready for the 4th grade" line and of course a steady mix of projects and field trips. A little chaos is to be expected though, and as long as the kids aren't hurting each other, I don't mind it (I'm going to regret saying this, I know).

The other battle is of course fighting against my own urges to go into "end of the year mode". In past years I've always been shocked at how lax some teachers become in June, and even May. Without sounding too sanctimonious I hope, this isn't really a luxury students in high need schools can perform. The summer months may bring about at least a half year of back sliding in math and reading. For kids who are already behind, loosening up for a month or two isn't an option.

I will be constantly remind myself that two months is more than 20% of the whole school year. Will I enjoy the freedom from test prep to find some more creative and extensive learning projects? Yes. Will I replace learning with games, meaningless field trips or movies? Not a chance. This isn't play time, it's crunch time.

Reflections on the Test Day

After months of work and a fair amount of anxiety, test day finally arrived. As usual I did my best to calm the nerves of my students, and refreshingly, for the first time I didn't have to calm my own.

I assured the kids that they were completely prepared, and reminded them of all the strategies they had learned to make the test easier. I handed out key chains from my trip to California and told the kids they were good luck charms. I could see the kids loosening up. And finally when I told the kids that the practice test they had taken Friday was actually a 4th grade exam I knew their confidence was boosted.

Once the test began I knew that I had been telling the kids the truth. They really were prepared, probably better prepared than any class I've taught before. I saw the kids highlighting important details, circling the title, writing notes in the margins and highlighting clues in the questions. These were the types of techniques I avoided teaching, because I hated the idea of teaching to the test. While I still believe in that philosophy, I also believe that these strategies were worthwhile. The kids need coping mechanisms for the stressful, unnatural setting of the test.

What struck me most about today was the not the students, but the test itself. It seemed strangely...easy. After months of worrying that we would get some sort of curve ball because of the new test date (previously the ELA has always been in early January), the test was surprisingly fair. More than fair, it seemed more or else the same as past years.

There was one passage I specifically recognized from a book in our classroom library. I looked it up later and found that the book was a level K. A level K is an early 2nd grade reading level. By contrast, at this point in the year, my students should be reading at a level N or O. While it's possible that the questions following the text could be tougher, it didn't seem that way to me. The questions looked like the usual mix of cause and effect, sequence, drawing conclusions, main idea and author's purpose. In any case it seemed strange to me that an exam designed to place students at below, approaching, at or above grade level, would use a text below grade level.

To be fair to the test makers and the state I decided to do a little extra research. I couldn't use Fountas and Pinell for past tests so instead I used the Flesch-Kincaid readability score. Using Flesch-Kincaid, this year's test (or rather one passage from this year's test) stood up much better. The Flesch-Kincaid readability scores of the three non-poem passages from last year's exam were 1.8, 1.7 and 1.4. In 2008 the non-poetry passages scored 2.1, 3.9 (!) and 2.6. In 2007 the scores were 3.2, 2.4 and 1.6. Finally, in 2006 the readability scores I was able to find were 1.4 and 1.2.

With such a sample size it's difficult to draw any clear conclusions. The Flesch-Kincaid score also isn't necessarily the best indicator of grade-level difficulty, but it's a good one. Without knowing the score of the other passages (I also found it odd there was no poem this year) from this year's test it's also tough to say how the overall 2010 exam compares to past exams. One thing does seem clear, is that with a few exceptions, the reading passages are between one and two grades below level in difficulty. Let's keep that in mind if/when this year's scores come out there's the usual rush to congratulate ourselves on the number of students performing at or above grade level.

UPDATE: In my exhaustion I forgot to include the Flesch-Kincaid score of the passage I recognized. It scored a 3.1 which indicates it was actually more difficult than most previous passages. The fact that it's Fountas and Pinell level was a low 2nd grade level and it's Flesch-Kincaid score was low 3rd grade level also makes me wonder generally how those two levels differ. If F & P is always lower than FK than some of the past passages may have been as low as level H or I (early 1st grade).

Taking Responsibility...and an ELA Pep Rally

The weather was overall pretty great again this week. The kind of precursor to full-on summer weather that brings out the ice cream truck and makes you giddy. And with the test this coming Monday we again spent the week "blitzing" for the test. But despite the weather, and the test prep overload, the kids were alright. So I guess I isolated the variable that made last week so challenging, and it turned out to be me.

While it's unfortunate I no longer have global warming or test prep as scapegoats, taking responsibility for my own behavior (Class Rule #5) has turned into a major positive. This past week, while not free from the stress of the impending exams, was a major improvement. Frustrations with certain lessons aside, we got a lot accomplished and the kids seemed much more focused. I'm glad I was able to get things back on track and I hope I can build on this over the next 2 months.

Going into the weekend I want to share a story about our school's ELA Pep Rally. Yesterday grades 3-5 gathered in the auditorium for the ELA Pep Rally. There were appearances by Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Wonder Woman. There were two performances including a twist on Beyonce's "Single Ladies" called "All the 3's and 4's". It ended with a slide show with pictures of all the classes preparing for the test.

You might think based on my general attitude toward the testing culture overtaking schools I would be bringing this up as another example of the damage of high-stakes testing. But in this case, I'm staying positive. Was it incredibly cheesy? Yes. But if you're teaching elementary school and you're not making fools of yourselves on a regular basis, you're doing something wrong.It may be unfortunate that a test pep rally is necessary, but in the end, this was an awesome occasion of school spirit and community. The energy in the room for all the kids, all the teachers and all the administrators was incredibly positive. It was a moment to celebrate our hard work and after months of getting ready we all deserved it.

2.8 Years In, and Still Asking...

Am I any good at this? Should I be in the classroom? Am I teaching for the right reasons? What are the right reasons?

After last week's soul-searching regarding my generally grouchy demeanor, things have improved. As they say, the first step is admitting you have a problem. Pausing a second to call myself out on my bad attitude gave me some focus and clarity. Since then I've remembered to rely on my system of consequences and rewards*, and that has taken a lot of the frustration and headache out of my teaching.

That said, I still manage to feel totally out of my element on a daily basis. I would like to chalk some of that up to the anxiety and all-around unnatural instructional style of test-prep. But I know it's more than that. Many of my math lessons seem to get bogged down, and at the end it seems likely the kids learned anything. If my science lessons aren't experiments, I'm pretty much lost. I rely too heavily on the textbook (using it for a shared reading) but as much as I try to tackle the vocabulary and draw upon real life examples, the kids don't show any signs of comprehension. In our discussions all the vocabulary words mix to form nebulous nonsense.

In my second year I finally felt I had a handle on classroom management. I thought this year the final pieces of instruction would fall into place. As far as reading, writing and social studies go I think they have. But my confidence in those areas only heightens my frustrations in math and science, not inconsequential subjects.

According to some, as a 3rd year teacher I'm allowed to still be figuring things out. I'm still a "novice". But this is unacceptable for me. As someone who isn't sure that teaching is a career, each year, each day really, is a fleeting opportunity to make a maximum impact. But as with the my attitude problem last week, I think acknowledging my instructional frustrations is a good first step. It's not like I'm clueless about why my lessons are struggling, or how to fix them. Many of my lessons, if I'm honest with myself, have been lackluster, and with better planning that won't be the case.

It may be almost May, but 2 months is really a lot of time. I'm hoping I can find the focus I need to make the most of it, and in doing so find some positive answers to the questions I keep asking.

*Catching up on sleep may have had something to do with it too.

The Limits of the Internet for Lesson Planning

We 21st century teachers have it so easy sometimes. A wealth of information, including detailed lesson plans, is a mere Google search away. Of course, as readers of this blog are already well aware, the internet has a lot of less worthwhile sources. Case in point, my search of "famous Nigerian landmarks" yielded this answer:

the fountain of unity is a great landmark in nigeria. i am currently learning this in collage so trust me.

To be fair, the person who wrote this might be in a collage class where they're studying the Fountain of Unity.

Power Tripping

A quote I distinctly remember from middle school history was Lord Acton's "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely." I've been wondering lately if I've been power tripping in my classroom.

Walking up to my school this morning I reflected on what seems a recent trend of mine to feel agitated and frustrated, and to pass these feelings onto the kids. It has manifested in different ways, some fairly benign and others, specifically sarcasm, I consider unacceptable. I resolved to be, in the strange words of my inner monologue, an well of endless patience. We hadn't even made it to lunch when it seemed the well had run dry.

Searching for the cause of my attitude problem yields several culprits. It is April, so spring is of course a suspect as my students (and their teacher) begin to feel the restlessness brought on my warm, sunny days. The test is another obvious cause. We are all exhausted and stressed by the impending ELA and Math exams. It makes the kids restive and in turn I get short-tempered when they're inattentive during such a crucial time.

The third possibility is one that makes me most uncomfortable, but one which offers me the most control to affect a change in my classroom. On my way home today I began to think that maybe I've just become a control-freak. Unsharpened pencils, not raising your hand, calling out "I'm done" are among the slight misdeeds that draw my full-blown wrath.

Maybe I would benefit from a trip back in time to my first year of teaching, I thought, reflecting on the way I've been jumping down students' throats for every small infraction. That trip down memory lane brought me back to my early impressions of teachers I observed as a student-teacher and a first year teacher. I will never talk to students that way, I said to myself naively.

Ultimately I can say that the chaos of my first-year-classroom was a worse offense than the harsh, unforgiving tone of the master teachers I observed. And I know that it's the small minutia of a classroom, right down to sharpening pencils, that keeps it running smoothly and safely. But, now that I have control, there has to be a way to keep control while living up to my original standards as an instructor.

I think the one gleam of hope in an otherwise gloomy stretch is the fact that I have never tried to be infallible in my classroom. I am willing to admit when I'm wrong, or apologize when I snap or unfairly accuse a student. And I do so often. On a day like today, I'll even say, "I'm sorry, for some reason I'm in a grouchy mood" and we're able to laugh about it. I know the many rules, routines and procedures we have are really there to create for freedom for the kids. And for the most part they succeed in this respect. It's up to me now to trust the system I've created, even in the warm weather, high stress test prep days, and for god's sake, loosen up.

Best Day Ever

One of my major regrets of this year was a lack of field trips early on, but finally we made it out of the building today. It was a perfect day for a field trip, especially since our trip was to the Bronx Botanical Garden. We enjoyed the incredible weather with a long walk around the garden, lunch outside and a pretty awesome game of Octopus Tag. Before we even started the Chocolate and Vanilla Adventure the kids were ecstatic.

Field trips are equally fun for teachers as for students. It's a chance to relax (when you're not reminding kids not to run, or climb...) and let your guard down a bit. You also have a chance - whether when on the bus or walking around - to interact with the kids freely outside the structure of a day in the classroom.

All in all, it was a great day. Still, I never know how to react when a student tells me, "This is the best day of my life." Yes, I know children tend to exaggerate a little. And at the very least, I can take this statement as a sign I'm doing something right. But just as when a kid made a similar declaration the day we made s'mores I can't help feel some sadness over this hyperbole. More than a sign of my students' capacity for embellishment, I also take it as a sign of the experiential deficit they suffer. They spend day after day cooped up in the classroom (playground's under construction) and more days than not, they spend their time at home watching TV or playing video games. That doesn't take anything away from how awesome today was, but it is a reminder I owe my students more memorable and special experiences.

My Nephew, the Future High Achiever

One of the highlights of my week off was the opportunity to spend lots of quality time with my nephew. He's almost two, soaks up words like a sponge and overall is insanely adorable. The time I spend with him is never enough, and I love the challenge of finding new ways to entertain him. Way beneath the surface of our time together, there's always a bit of sadness when I contrast his development with my students.

What does a toddler have to do with my third graders? Well, developmentally, a lot. Watching this baby develop into a little person is an amazing front row seat to the development of the young brain. It also has given me a deep appreciation for what research already shows: a great deal of academic success is established before a child even enters the classroom.

This is not to say I am relinquishing my responsibility as a teacher. It is my job to help students regardless of their performance when they enter my classroom. In fact helping kids struggling below grade level is a major reward of teaching in a high-need school as well. That said, I can't help thinking about the missing pieces in many of my students' formative years.

This is not about me pointing fingers or (dis)placing blame from schools and teachers onto the shoulders of parents. But I do think that the role of years 0-5 in a child's future success should not be discounted. The number of words my nephew is learning daily sometimes seems to rival the vocabulary of some of my students. By the time he enters kindergarten he will have thousands of words at his disposal and the means to communicate at a level largely absent from my classroom. I relish the challenge of bringing my struggling readers (speakers and writers) to grade level and above. But if we're serious as a society about closing the achievement gap we need to look beyond "high standards" and standardized testing and find a way to erase the disadvantages that begin before kids even enter school.