Testing Time!

I just saw what I thought was the oddest sign on a school marquee. It said, "It's Testing Time in Texas!" Yes, it had exclamation points. Are we supposed to get excited about this? Can we be just as excited about writing a poem, solving a problem, or even creating a problem that needs to be solved? I hope so. The bluebonnets are popping up, the weather beckons us outside, and our children are getting ready for The Test. Yep, it's springtime in Texas, and in many schools The Test seems to be all encompasing, taking on a life of its own.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that we do need some type of assessment. I am not some hippie dippie, head in the clouds person who thinks we don't need boundaries, grammar, or punctuation. BUT in my opinion the testing in our state (maybe others?) has gotten out of hand. Teachers and students alike are hyper aware of preparing for The Test. In some cases, it seems that's all they think about. I've spoken to several elementary age kids in the last week whose stomachs are in knots because of it. One young lady recently said, "You don't understand, The Test is coming up! I can't write a poem or read that book now! I have to practice for The Test!" Sigh. Can't read or write because she needs to get ready for The Test? Somehow that doesn't make sense to me. I know it's not like that for everyone, but my heart broke for her. I love the way this particular child writes, but apparently, that's not the way she is "supposed to" do it. I wonder if Hemingway or Steinbeck would have fallen into the mold. Again...sigh.

I don't teach in the public schools, so I really can't comment too much on what the teachers go through at this time of year. I've been told by a few creative, innovative teachers that they don't have time to teach the way they know and love because it doesn't fit in with preparing for The Test. I'm sure not all teachers feel this way, but I know it is an issue for some.

  Feel free to disagree, but my own observations lead me to believe that something needs to be changed. Yes, we need assessments, but this pervasive testing mentality is, in my opinion, a concern.  I see the fallout in kids whose anxiety levels are at an all time high as well as in kids who don't want to try something different because it doesn't fit the very structured unchanged pattern they've been taught for taking The Test. So it makes me wonder. If we know that all kids don't learn the same way,why do we test them all the same way?

 
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