Matching Tracksuits

fun in fours

Month: April 2024

Testing

Tuesday 30 April 2024

Today was the first day of state standardized testing, and it was, as I expected, a mess. The company that our state pays to do the testing is DRC Insight. I'm not sure why: we've never had a smooth testing experience with them. We've staggered starts by grade; we've staggered by grade and then hall; we've staggered by grade, and then hall, and then room -- nothing has ever produced a simple experience where all students get logged on immediately and start the test without issue.

How many millions of dollars are we spending for this substandard, time-wasting torture?

For my part, it's hellish because I'm not allowed to do anything other than watch the students test. We don't want them cheating, you see. But the truth is, students know this test really has no impact on their lives, and while they usually do their best, they're not overly worried about it.

And this led me once again to cynicism: as I walked around the room, I crafted a sentence. I took a moment and jotted it down, then continued walking around the room, looking at the tops of students' heads. I thought of edits and changed the sentence. I repeated the process until I'd eliminated all unnecessary words to express the simple truth of standardized testing:

Standardized testing quantifies students and teachers to provide politicians scapegoats for their failed education policies.

Lit Circles

Monday 29 April 2024

Kids are ending the year with lit circles, which gives them a lot of independence and an opportunity to show themselves (and others) how well they can handle such responsibilities. Unlike the rest of the year, for this work I allowed them to choose their own groups. Several of the Latino students decided to work together. Their English ability is a wide spectrum: one boy has just moved to America and speaks no English at all; another boy just moved to America and speaks intermediate-level English. One girl has been living in the States for a number of years but still has some difficulties with English.

I told them to do their best to stick to English, to help each other out as they're working. They've been doing just that.

These kids have a very special place in my world right now: I know, to a slight degree, the struggles they're going through. I often remind them about how much they've improved this year, and I tell them how proud I am of them and more importantly, how proud they should be of themselves.

"And just between us, teachers aren't supposed to have favorites, but I so enjoy working with you guys," I told them. "You're not my favorite, because I'm not supposed to have them, but you're close," I added, with a wink.

"We know," one of the girls laughed.

Conestee Evening

Sunday 28 April 2024

Soccer Hearts

Saturday 27 April 2024

Low Brass, High Scores

Friday 26 April 2024

E had the chance tonight to have his newly-acquired trombone skills evaluated. We drove to Dorman High School, saw hundreds of other kids who were being evaluated as well,

and made our way to room 9 (actually B117--not sure why they re-numbered the rooms).

The Boy walked in, performed his solo piece perfectly, and walked out with the scoresheet to prove it.

His band director took a picture and told us that students who earn a "Superior" rating must, simply must, go out for ice cream.

"We were ready for the rating," I told Mr. K. "We bought some earlier today!"

Transformation

Thursday 25 April 2024

All County Champion

Wednesday 24 April 2024

Poster Day

Tuesday 23 April 2024

For about four years now, each of my classes during the book fair has picked out a poster that seems uniquely out of character for me, which they then all sign, and I hang it on the wall.

Previous years' posters include two BTS posters, a Riverdale poster, and several kitty posters.

Today was our day in the book fair, so all classes picked a poster. They'll be signing it tomorrow, and they should be on the wall by the end of the week.

This year, more kids seemed more interested in picking the poster. Usually, it's just a handful of students in each class; this year, the whole class at times was inspecting the poster and making suggestions about which one to buy.

It made me feel exceptionally good.

Changes Waiting

Monday 22 April 2024

Though it's hard to comprehend how we've reached this moment so quickly, the Girl is just shy of six feet tall and wrapping up her junior year of high school, and the Boy has crossed the five-foot barrier and will soon be twelve. The changes coming are enormous: L will be making final decisions about college over the summer, and the Boy will soon have a full-blown, empty-leg, teenage boy appetite.

We got a hint of that this evening.

After eating a full meal, he came back downstairs hunting for food no more than five minutes later.

"I'm still hungry," he declared. So he got a piece of yesterday's leftover pizza out and warmed it up.

Clover smelled it, sensed a treat, and followed him into Papa's room (it will always be "Papa's room"), and sat down like the best behaved pup in the world.

Return for Pickleball

Sunday 21 April 2024