It’s been a long week. A week of struggles in my head concerning happenings in my classroom. All started this week when to comply with RTI I had to make a list of my Fs and Ds. My list was freakishly long. Reason was the first test I gave. Well not only reason, those with Fs missed at least 2 more assignments in addition to bombing the test.

So that’s where I’m torn. I tell the kids so many times a day we have one goal: “to learn something new every day not make an A! If you learn what you need to learn, you will make that grade.” So did they learn?! If they did, they should make the grade according to this.

So I had an “ah ha” moment during 1st period. A student started waving her hands like crazy while I was explain a penumbra. Annoyed I called on her and asked if she had a question. She blurted out “I saw the moon for the first time. Like really looked at it. I had never done that before.” Seriously? She had never looked at the moon? They are doing a project on moon phases where they have to sketch & comment on the moon every night. She not only did that but did it and took something away from it. That’s the stuff that is important. Not that stupid test.

So I’m dropping the test (except for the As). I have to. My class is about learning not testing. They will retake the test on Wednesday, but they now know the importance of it. I have to be careful and make sure they know I will not ever do this again but it’s just as important they know WHY I am doing it.

My most frusterating part of this is they knew that stuff but couldn’t connect it to the test. I’m still looking for ways to teach this (suggestions welcome lol). I want them to take what they know and apply it to everything, including simple test. I now have a new goal with this group.

A

(written on phone so if a number of typos let me know 🙂