F-Day is upon us

Today I feel like a parent (duh, cuz I am one). More specifically, I feel like a parent dropping her child off for their first day of Kindergarten, hoping they'll do well, hoping that everything they've learned at home will be evident in their work. I sit now, watching a room full of anxious 8th graders, whose parents and teachers have knots in their stomachs today, knowing what this test means for them. I have knots in my stomach knowing what this test means for all of us.

For them, it tells their schools, teachers and parents how intelligent they are, even though it shouldn't. They will be judged by their results on this test for years to come. For their parents, it means a reflection of their home education. For us as a school, it means whether or not we prepared our students to face their greatest annual challenge. And for me as a teacher it means, did I do enough to educate and motivate?

Yesterday, I gave each of my students their pep talks, their FCAT goodie bags, and a personalized note of encouragement. Of the 85 students I've taught this year, only 2 are in my testing group. Those two practically brought me to tears this morning as they began their tests. Really, all the students did. Not one started reading the passage before previewing the questions. Then, they started previewing the article, marking up the test, eliminating wrong answers, restating the question for short response items. My God...those things we've worked so hard to teach them, they get them! They really get it. It was not in vain. They understand the value and have taken ownership of those strategies.

I wish so badly I could get those Florida legislative hotshots down here to see these kids. To see them sitting here for almost 3 hours, working their tails off to show what they've learned, despite being measured by a culturally biased and extremely boring test. Not only do they work their tails off now...but they can't even know the fruits of their labor until the results come back in LATE MAY! How's that for effective monitoring...that's 2 1/2 months from now, at which point most of these kids won't even remember what they did wrong, how they felt today, or how they could've done better. They'll just have a number. 1-5. The number that dictates which way they will go in life. It sure is F-day...just not the four-letter 'F' we normally associate with it.