Alienation of the State

Fifth Graders had a very hectic schedule this week. Two major events were all anyone could talk about. Students, teachers, administration, parents all focusing on these two events: the Writing PSSA (state testing) and the upper grade spelling bee. Student might have been more interested in the latter, but the former is what kept the teachers and administration busy.

In our classroom, Tr. Seth had been practicing writing strategies with the students for months. Our students were well trained and well prepared but that didn’t mean that all of the hoopla surrounding the test, didn’t intimidate (or even outright scare) a lot of the students. Despite the warm supportive tone Tr. Seth used whenever speaking of The Test, they could sense the importance of it all. All of the sudden, the room was set up differently. Everyone switched tables and couldn’t sit within arm’s length of each other. The teachers covered all of their walls (at least the walls with writing tips on it) with table clothes. The students heard mummers about funding being allocated based on the results. The whole structure of the week was interrupted to accommodate The Test. So, I guess it should have been no surprise, when some students cracked under the pressure of it all and started to cry, mid test. Their tests were tear-stained which made it difficult to finish their essays. Tr. Seth made a genuine effort to down play The Test, even the day of it, by engaging in long stretching exercises before hand and offering mints and freshly sharpened pencils, but some students were just plain intimidated by the whole ambiance of it all. Does the state really expect authentic responses from the students? The state forces schools to administer The Tests in such an alienating way. Sometimes, it is all about the packaging.

The other event had its fair share of drama. Students calling other students nasty names for spelling words incorrectly. Other students earning bragging rights for advancing to the next round. Fifth grade was the underdog, for sure. They were up against the 6th, 7th and 8th graders. At this point, we have two students representing in the finals. I cannot wait to see how it turns out! I have always been an underdog fan!

The Honeymoon is Over

“Wow! You’re only 26!” That was just one of the sweet utterances I heard from my students this week. I think it is safe to say the honeymoon is over. The students and I have grown past polite pleasantries and onto exchanging more realistic teacher-student banter. During a lesson on inferences, I asked the students what the relationship is between the baby and Madame Roulin in Van Gogh’s famous painting. An argument ensued regarding whether Madame Roulin was the baby’s mother or grandmother. In an effort to steer the class into a discussion on Van Gogh’s style and the lack of facial detail I took a risk and asked, “Well, how can you tell, that I am not your age? What makes me look older?” I know, I know. I really set myself up for something special.

A couple of students gave me the givens, “We know you are older because we call you Teacher,” and “You’re taller than us.”

And then one brave and intuitive student raises their hand to add, “We know you are older because you have…uh, I mean, other people have, older people have wrinkles on their face.” This child is brilliant. To catch a social faux pas, no matter how invited, mid thought and successfully correct themselves is just astounding. She won my heart that day. Though she lost it the next when she interrupted guided reading to ask who farted.