If you've been reading my blog since around this time last year, you would know that the title was quite different. In fact, the whole tone of the blog was quite different. Things weren't good. TAKS scores had come in and I was very disappointed with my class last year. I didn't know how to react. It was my first year teaching and I hadn't even taught the entire year. I had mixed emotions, that yes, they were my class and those were the result, but I also didn't feel responsibility for those results seeing as how I only became their teacher halfway through the year.
Anyway...this year was different. I needed to prove myself, and prove myself is what I did. This day has been one of the best teaching days ever. Receiving the good scores was a high moment, but telling the kids how well they did made me feel even better. One kid after another,
Me: "How do you think you did?"
Kid: "I think I did okay."
Me: "Do you think you passed all three tests?"
Kid: "I think so." (This is when I usually tell them the results, unless it's one of those kids with a sense of humor that I like to tease.)
Me: "Are you sure? You are 100% sure that you passed the writing, math, AND reading test?"
Kid: "Well, I hope so. I don't know now."
Me: "So which one do you think you failed?"
Kid: (says a test)
Me: "Well, I'm sorry to tell you...that you are wrong. You passed (or were commended)!"
Kid Responses: a smile forms...tears formed in one child's eyes...sometimes squeals accompany the smile...jumping up and down...heads back to the classroom to share their excitement and happiness and success
I felt like the TAKS Santa today. I only had to give bad news to two kids and that was very difficult, because those students have worked incredibly hard and improved tremendously this year. The good news that I gave to 20 students over shadowed those 2. This doesn't mean I don't care about those, because I almost wanted to cry when I had to tell one of them. It was disappointing and we are all trying to figure out how it happened.
I need to go and start planning the pizza party and baking a cake that I promised would happen if 90% of them passed...the price to pay when they do well...I think I will manage!
I felt like the TAKS Santa today. I only had to give bad news to two kids and that was very difficult, because those students have worked incredibly hard and improved tremendously this year. The good news that I gave to 20 students over shadowed those 2. This doesn't mean I don't care about those, because I almost wanted to cry when I had to tell one of them. It was disappointing and we are all trying to figure out how it happened.
I need to go and start planning the pizza party and baking a cake that I promised would happen if 90% of them passed...the price to pay when they do well...I think I will manage!
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