Why so standardized?

I did not go to school today because I had to go to an all-day training for new English teachers. The training was supposed to teach us how to use our textbooks. Qua? A: Why was this training not done before school started? B: Why do we even need training on how to use a textbook? Surely (most) teachers are intelligent enough to figure out how to navigate through them. There are also people called Department Heads and Resource Teachers we can turn to.

To add another layer of ridiculousness to this nonsense, the county is discontinuing the use of these textbooks next year. Que?? We can surely spend our time doing other things (like, oh I don't know, LESSON PLANNING??) if what we "learned" today will be useless in another 9 months.

Now add ANOTHER layer of incongruity on top of that unappetizing cake. (Though not a surprising layer.) There were maybe 20 minutes of the whole day that were useful, out of the 6+ hours of the training. And it could have been handed to us in packets. We're adults. We will read it. Maybe I'm being optimistic; I'm also quite computer literate (most of the training was how to use the supplemental online resources, which I didn't even think were useful for my purposes... but I'll come to that in a moment), and perhaps some of the older teachers are luddites. Ok, fine, but the county does not need to pay for a private textbook company to send their Floridian consultant (even though we use VA textbooks.... ummmmmm ok....) to walk us through tons of information that most of us either won't use or will forget the second we walk out of that room. Not to mention paying for the subs who have to replace us. This seems especially ridiculous in a county as bountiful and wealthy as this; there are plenty of people and resources for media illiterate teachers to turn to.

The frosting on this masterpiece, though, was the insistence of doing EVERYTHING (or so it seemed) through this one textbook company. Sure, some of it served to save us time coming up with tests and the like, but most of it seemed like a marketing campaign toward standardization. Ug.

Ok, I am really not a sourpuss (except I am when it comes to this country's obession with standardization). One of the benefits of working in this particular county is the freedom with which we are allowed to teach. That can also be difficult, as I was given few guidelines and fewer texts. But clearly, standardization has not affected us as much as other counties. Yet.

And finally (whoops, didn't mean to write an essay...), I continue to love Valerie Strauss for reasons like this. Normally I don't like Alfie Kohn nearly as much, but he has earned major brownie points with me with this article denouncing standardized tests.

The good, the bad, and the CRAZY

Classes at the school at which I teach are on a block schedule, so I see students every other day. I have a crazy disruptive & rude 7th period, and a ridiculously docile and almost boring 6th period. Mind you, these classes meet at the exact same time every day, and the difference between them could not be more pronounced. A lot of it is the dynamic of the students in terms of how they interact with each other; almost half the students in my 7th period have ADHD or have animosity toward each other or are just generally giant jackasses. I am so exhausted after they leave, whereas after 6th period I am just frustrated because I can't tell if the information is getting to them.

There is so much to keep track of in teaching. It's usually not until after the fact that I realize there are other factors at work when a student sits in my class: are they wondering if they can eat tonight? If their mother will wander home drunk? If their father will hit them?.... The list goes on and on. VS says it well (as usual) in this article about poverty. She also has another one about standardization that is rather amusing yet also sad.

Yaaaaaaaaaay weekend.

They're Baaaaaack!

...the students, that is. School has been in session for four days and I'm EXHAUSTED. And I'm starting to wonder how teachers have time to do every day tasks like laundry, grocery shopping, and even eating. I've heard that it gets better after the first year, though, so I will continue to tread water and make sure the kids are always aware of my head. But I am SO looking forward to the weekend.

Education policy! Hoorays! Tell me why we leave it up to the politicians again? Ugh.

OVERWHELMED!!

School starts on Tuesday fo' realz. This week was meetings, meetings, planning, decorating my room, and did I mention meetings? Ohmigosh, so much to do and so little time to do it in. Well, bring it on...