Feelings about the STAAR

For anyone who happens to be reading this who either isn't in Texas or hasn't been keeping up with education, the STAAR is the state test in Texas. This will be the second year we have it and it's the most rigorous state test we've had yet.

I had my kiddos take a benchmark/practice test at the end of March. I told them beforehand that it was going to be a test grade, so they better take it seriously. I had 16 out of 102 pass the benchmark. Granted, the passing rate on the benchmark is a 70 and the passing rate for the STAAR this year will be much lower (I believe in the 30s-40s), but I am still upset most of my students either did not take the test seriously or did not take the time to read each question. I told them that even if they didn't know the answer/the content/whatever, they could still make a really good guess by reading the question carefully. The highest class average was a 59, so not too hot all around.

Their test is on May 9 and we start our boot camp tomorrow. I just worry about them being ready to rock the STAAR since most of them haven't proven yet this year they can think through a question.

While I'm mostly worried about them passing and being able to stay on track to graduate, a tiny part of me is freaking out because of how their results will reflect on me. Each student has a PEIMS number for state testing and teachers are tracked through that number. If a school notices that one particular teacher seems to always have struggling students, that's justification for not renewing the teacher's contract. While teachers should be held accountable, I don't think it should rest solely on how students do on state assessments. Teachers cannot control how students will do on tests, as seen by many of my students essentially refusing to take the benchmark seriously. I don't know if they'll react the same way to the real STAAR or finally get down to business.

Essentially, my first full year of teaching has been fraught with worries about my students' futures and my future.

P.S. If you have any ideas about motivation during a review boot camp or setting goals for state testing or review activities, it would be much appreciated!

Just Some Reassurance

I did a summer program for the last two summers and some of my fellow teachers from there are in their last year of college. They (and others) keep asking me how real teaching is, so I wanted to get some thoughts down.

Yes, being in charge of 150 ish kids is absolutely bananas, especially when you add in the English Language Learners, the 504s, the IEPs, and the BIPs. If I total up all of that paperwork, I have about 35 kiddos who need extra help in some form or fashion. That is unreal for a first year at my school. HOWEVER, THIS IS STILL SO MUCH BETTER THAN BEING A LONG TERM SUB. A few of those kids I had last year made me want to never go near a classroom again. What a world of difference starting the year out with your very own kids makes! Thank goodness I kept pursuing my lifelong dream.

So, yes, the whole staying organized/slightly ahead of your kids business is challenging. But I have yet to feel like I'm totally drowning or simply surviving. We had a training day this past Saturday and almost every other teacher looked EXHAUSTED and kept mentioning how they were happy to just be surviving. Meanwhile, I am LOVING every minute of training, professional learning, meetings, teaching, tutoring, grading, etc. Well, except the emails from parents. But you can't win 'em all.

Funny story about juggling all these kids: I said "Hello, [name]!" to a girl entering my room last Friday and she got the biggest smile on her face and exclaimed "I love it when teachers learn my name and say hello!" Like, it's week two. That should just be a thing. I'm glad I made her day, though. They know I'm trying and when I have a bajillion girls who look exactly alike, I do pause from time to time. But I know them. And I'm learning stuff about them. And they LOVE that. Like, I am 100% committed to attending the freshman football game this Thursday because otherwise I'll have a riot on my hands since I didn't go last week. And I bought a coupon book from one of my choir kiddos and he thought that was the neatest thing ever. THESE KIDS, Y'ALL.

So, friends worrying about the ever nearing future, despite being hired two weeks before school started, I am lovin' it oh so much. I am doing exactly what I was born to do and that is an incredible feeling.

P.S. Once I'm totally settled (haha yeah right, that's a never ending process), I will have some sort of blogging schedule. I really am going to prove secondary education can be cute and awesome. I got lots of stuff to share :)