Saturday, Sigh

Last week was the week of state testing for the bulk of students at my school.  It was a four day week, but it was a long week.  State testing isn't fun for anybody.  Perhaps the public has the perception that testing week is an "easy" week of little teaching for the teachers.  The public would be wrong, if they thought that.  Teachers love to teach.  Most of them love kids.  So, when they have to be stern test givers who can't answer questions, who can't speak, who can't even read the test that the kids are taking, it is tough.

The tests go on for hours and hours.  Students may not leave when they finish.  They have to sit there until time is up.  It is hard.  It is boring.  Lots of the kids have figured out that how they do on the test has little bearing on their school progress. They don't even try. All the pressure is on the teachers and the schools.  It is rather crazy.

In our country we are sometimes compared to other countries and their test scores.  In most of those other countries there is reward and penalty for students based on how they do on the test.  In this country, until the ACT or SAT is reached, there is no penalty, no reward.  It is all the school.

It is Saturday.  I can forget the testing that took place last week, for the most part.  There will be some make up tests next week, but for the most part we are done.  Saturday, time to regroup and restore.