Hate the State
Today we gave the practice version of the MCT2, which is the state's new, tougher end of the year assessment. It lasted five hours. I hate state tests because I'm not allowed to sit, lean, read, write, drink, munch, pee, or do anything other than walk around the room nonstop the entire freaking time. It's so damn boring. And when half the class finishes in two hours and the other half takes the full four, it's kinda hard to keep everything in proper test mode. Even if my entire class finished in two hours, we'd still have to sit there for another three hours until every student in the school is finished, because only then can we get out of "testing mode." By the time that finally happened today, it was fifth period.
When the kids finally got out of the room they had been in for five freakin' hours, they were rarin' to go. I was supposed to be teaching irregular verbs today, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to them after they'd spent that much time on an English test. So we played Hangman, which does have some educational value. My last two classes went over the 9 weeks tests, discussed 3rd term grades, and went over the homework they did last night. Most of them actually did the homework, too. It's getting down to the end of the year and they're realizing they need to do some catching up.
Oh, speaking of doing some catching up, my phone's ringing off the hook too with parents wanting to know what their kids can do to bring up their grades. I just love this time of year. Parents you couldn't hunt down for the last 27 weeks of school start coming out of the woodwork, acting like you just GAVE their kid some random grade. When you tell them there's no magic one assignment their child can do to change an average of 59 into a passing 70, they're astonished. Some of them start throwing a fit and say that you're being ridiculous-- there they are in front of you asking for help, and you are refusing it! It's gonna be a tough 9 weeks, I know, but it's going to be more entertaining this time than it was the first time I went through it. This time I'm ready. I know exactly what's coming, and I've rehearsed my lines.
Tomorrow? We do the same test thing again. Today it was Language, and tomorrow it's Math. Our kids like math for some stupid reason. Maybe they'll finish it quicker. Or maybe it'll be shorter since they don't have to do all that reading. The Language test booklet is a BOOOOOOK.
When the kids finally got out of the room they had been in for five freakin' hours, they were rarin' to go. I was supposed to be teaching irregular verbs today, but I couldn't bring myself to do that to them after they'd spent that much time on an English test. So we played Hangman, which does have some educational value. My last two classes went over the 9 weeks tests, discussed 3rd term grades, and went over the homework they did last night. Most of them actually did the homework, too. It's getting down to the end of the year and they're realizing they need to do some catching up.
Oh, speaking of doing some catching up, my phone's ringing off the hook too with parents wanting to know what their kids can do to bring up their grades. I just love this time of year. Parents you couldn't hunt down for the last 27 weeks of school start coming out of the woodwork, acting like you just GAVE their kid some random grade. When you tell them there's no magic one assignment their child can do to change an average of 59 into a passing 70, they're astonished. Some of them start throwing a fit and say that you're being ridiculous-- there they are in front of you asking for help, and you are refusing it! It's gonna be a tough 9 weeks, I know, but it's going to be more entertaining this time than it was the first time I went through it. This time I'm ready. I know exactly what's coming, and I've rehearsed my lines.
Tomorrow? We do the same test thing again. Today it was Language, and tomorrow it's Math. Our kids like math for some stupid reason. Maybe they'll finish it quicker. Or maybe it'll be shorter since they don't have to do all that reading. The Language test booklet is a BOOOOOOK.
