Hug A Teacher

This week is the most stressful week in Texas public schools. It is TAKS week. This is the week where students all over the state take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. These tests are difficult, full of pressure, and produce highly important reports that make decide several factors for students and districts including funding, schedules, accountability, ratings, and enrollment.

I could talk about the TAKS test forever (but I won't). For teachers, the old saying, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink", has never been so true. You can show, demonstrate, tell, teach, describe, and act out 2 + 2 =4 a million times and in a million different ways and some kids are never going to grasp it. The TAKS test reflects this on that student's teacher whether the teacher taught this or not. It is a tough spot.

However, instead of talking bad about TAKS, I am going to rant about some positives. After all, standardized testing is never going to go away. We might as well look for positives. So, here are some reasons why I am a big proponent of standardized testing.

My first year of teaching Biology, I spent and entire six weeks on genetics. It was so awesome! My kids really got into it. We played lots of CSI games and did more Punnet squares than you can imagine. They knew genetics like the back of their hands. It was all of our favorite six weeks. Well, when we got to plants I only spent a week and a half. Plants are so boring. The kids HATE studying botany and I ABHOR teaching it. If my kids would have taken the TAKS test, they would have failed the part on plants. You see, whether I like plants or not, it is still something the state of Texas says needs to be covered in depth in Biology I on the high school level. In fact, there are less standards required for genetics than for botany. The next year I spent 3 weeks on each unit and my students got a much fuller and enriched education. I picked and chose the quality labs for genetics instead of all of my favorites and looked for ways to make plants interesting.

The point of standardized testing is to say that if you are a 3rd grader in Padukah, TX you are learning the same reading, writing, math, social studies, and science skills that a 3rd grader in Coppell is learning. If your parents moved you in the middle of the year, you would still have a complete 3rd grade education. I respect that. It shouldn't matter if your teacher is a football coach or a nuclear physicist, Chemistry class should be Chemistry class. If you are low income, you should have the same basic learning opportunities as the richest kid in the state.

When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers used science class to teach us sign language. I LOVED sign language and I am thankful to this day that I can somewhat communicate with others through sign language. My sister knew it too growing up and we had lots of fun at the dinner table chatting without my parents really knowing what we were saying, however, I probably should have learned properties of matter instead. One of my Junior High social studies teachers taught us how to play chess. I am glad I have that skill, but I do think there are more important facts of European history I should have picked up other than a pawn is less precious than the queen. There is a purpose and a point to standardized testing and as an educator, quality and equitable education is something I owe my students and their parents.

That being said, give teachers a hug this week and a pat on the back. It is a stressful week for them.

Happy TAKS testing.