Tuckered out!

We have just completed Phase 1 of the annual torture a.k.a TAKS! Reading ~ Yes, it started 8 weeks earlier this year. Why? This group of 8th graders MUST pass both reading and mathematics in order to go to 9th grade; if they didn't pass today's test, they will have the opportunity to re-take it two more times! There are four tests, the two mentioned above plus science and social studies. Students don't get re-takes for these last two. Guess our content doesn't matter. I do know that in high school, students must pass social studies TAKS which includes about 50% of what they learned in 8th!

TEA mandates that students must remain quiet until all pupils have finished their test. They can read or sleep~nothing else is permitted. Well, in theory, it can be done. Reality says: 'this blows' 'cuz they were bored. Some were making shadow puppets from the sunlight streaming through the blinds which distracted those still trying to test. When I would correct them, their response was: so what! Yes, I could have been a real jerk and had their tests invalidated but then I would have to worry about retaliation. I may swap one or two of them with another colleague for Phase 2 which is April 8th ~ Math!

I think I will just sign up for that waterboard torture experience, after all it can't be any worse than keeping 22 darling 8th graders in check for 7 hours! Herding cats might just be a breeze by comparison. "Actively monitoring" is the buzz phrase from TEA and I am plumb tired from not being able to sit except during lunch! FL wants us to be in compliance and thinks this is really easy to do. Funny thing though, he doesn't have to be in the classroom!

Ms. Perky had a relatively good day with her first TAKS experience~yeah! I tried to give her as much advice as I could but OJT is better in this case.

Off to choir practice~at least I can express my tension in a productive manner!

ttfn,

~ba~