The World According to Leslie

I have mixed feelin about the end-of-year testing. Did you know that in middle school, there are 3-4 different types of tests?  There's the EOG (end-of-grade test, for selected middle school subjects), the EOC (end-of-course test, for students in high school classes in certain subjects), the NCFE (North Carolina Final Exam, for most subjects that do not already have an EOC/EOG), and teacher-made exams (for classes that don't have a state test but still require a final exam grade)!!  My daughter gets to take 4 EOGs/NCFEs, 2 EOCs, and 1 teacher-made exam!!  Yes!! That adds up to SEVEN!!!!  SEVEN tests for my ONE child!!!! As a teacher, I can see that it is useful to see where students may have deficits in certain areas. I do not, however, think that the tests should be used at the end all/be all for the students. They should be used to help differentiate learning for the students. Find a way to teach the students what they lack. Find a way to enrich what they do ...

Exams started yesterday at my school.  That means that the kids only have 4 days left.  It means that *I* only have 6 days left.   I’m excited at the prospect of sleeping beyond 3:30am!    I can’t believe that the Princess will be in middle school next year.   I have so much on my mind, but not enough time to write it out right now.  Hopefully I get more writing time this summer to get some of these things out of my head.

At this point in the school year, I’m not doing anything new.  I teach an elective class, so I get the privilege of writing my own exam. I don’t have a state exam.  So, in that case, what do you do with 20 days left in the year?   You give them a 3 page study guide with specific instructions for how you expect it to be completed.  Then you give them time in class for two days to complete it so that they can’t whine as much about the amount of work.   Then you give them the answers to the study guide, assign them a specific part of it, and have them reteach that part of the information to the class.  That is the beginning of the review.   Then we play games (that they come up with and that I already have) for about 2 weeks.    Then it’s time for exams!    20 days of school left….. 15 teaching days/5 exam days!  This is the best part of being a teacher…. reviewing to get to the exam!

Today is the last day I have to teach my kids anything.  On Monday, their exams start.  That means that if they don’t know it today, they had better study it and learn it this weekend.      Because students may not come to school every day next week like they are supposed to, we have a bit of a strange schedule.  Monday thru Thursday, the kids take one exam a day. They get out of school at 1/2 day.  On Friday, we have a full day of school.  If all of our students took their exams, we have literally nothing for them to do.  Some teachers are telling the kids that they will have work for them.  I’m telling my kids that we will have a movie that day.  Seriously…. no need for them to come if they are finished with exams.  (BUT….some of them will!)   So for the past few days (since Tuesday) my kids have been teaching my class.  I gave them the Study Guide over the weekend.  I gave them the answers to it on Mon...

According to my phone, it is 27 degrees outside my front door.   I’m okay with the cold. I would rather have cold weather than hot. I can put on more layers to get warm, but I can only take off so many layers before someone calls the cops!     I have always preferred the cold weather.  I don’t like to sweat! I work hard and work up a sweat when I need to, but I don’t like to sweat. I would rather do Spring Cleaning when it’s 50 degrees out so I can open the windows to prevent getting too hot!  (Yes! I know I sound like a weirdo!)   Anyways…. yesterday, it was 50 degrees and raining. The rain finally stopped around 6pm or so.  This morning, some of the streets are still wet.    Long story short…. I was kind of hoping for a delay today!  I would love to go back to sleep for about an hour!   However…. not enough danger on the roadways, I guess.  So…it’s time to get ready for work.    Since exams a...

Today, since we are giving new state tests (Common Exams/Measures of Student Learning) in NC, the English teachers at my school are all going to be in one room all day.  (That should be fun!)  We have to grade the tests.    YES!  You read that right!  The teachers are grading the state required tests!    Each test had multiple choice and a written part.  The MC is being sent off to be graded—that’s easy!  Each of the written responses is going to be read by at least TWO teachers today.  Then we will give them a grade.    Does anyone else see an issue here?  I grade differently that other teachers at MY school.  I know that teachers at other schools grade differently than we grade at our school.  So the test results (other than the MC) will be biased/skewed at each school…. or so I fear.    I guess we will see.  I hope that this works the way the state has planned, but we will s...

We all know I love a good countdown! So…  not that I will do this EVERY day, but I will update some.  The official get-me-to-summer-break countdown is on!   9 more weeks 8 more Mondays (We get Memorial Day off!) 38 actual teaching days 6 exam days   So, that means… 1 more progress report.  1 more report card. And, for me, 36 happy students!    I think I might actually put this up as a countdown on my board today!  Think the students will mind?   I think they will get REALLY excited to see it in three weeks when we have less than a month left in class!   Now, the concern here is…. how in the world am I going to get everything taught that I still need to teach???  OMGeeee!    It will all get done!  Luckily, I don’t have Seniors!  Luckily, I’m not still in school myself!     So….  say it with me now….. THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!!!!!

Yesterday, I posted that we are having "Weird Weather" here.  As of 10pm last night, the weather people (not just weathermen any more) are calling for 2-4 inches.  Unfortunately, they are all saying that it will be gone by 5am! I may not be a Science person, but wouldn't it take a LITTLE longer than an hour for the snow to completely melt if it doesn't stop snowing until 4am!?  (Just asking!) We may (or may not) have some snow tonight!  I may (or may not) get to see it in the morning since I wake up around 4am! :)  I just wonder what they are going to do about school--the last high school exam for the semester is tomorrow morning!  (We shall see what the plan is!)

As you know, I am a high school teacher.  In the county where I teach (and in many places now) the classes run on a 4X4 block schedule.  This means that the students have 4 classes from August until January; then they change classes and have 4 different classes from January to June. Right now, we are in the final days of the first semester.  The students only have this week (5 days) and then Monday of next week of "regular" classes.  Then they have four days of exams--one each day.  That means that next week, the students will get out of school early on Tuesday thru Friday.  Then we have our Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and a teacher workday the following week.  I can't believe that I only have these kids for 6 more days and an exam.  I'm a little excited to see what my new kids will be like, but I have gotten so used to these kids.  They are FABULOUS!!!  I can't imagine having a better group.  (I am going to double my numb...

Tomorrow the lovelies at school begin their exams.  They continue them until next week.  Then I get a couple of teacher workdays.  (I just need to have time to FILE some stuff! LOL)  Then... the following week..... our new semester starts.  So does Chasity's.  It won't be long until Spring Break!  You'll never believe it, but Chasity and I have the same Spring Break (I think!).  I need to check again before I state that for sure!