Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Teacher returns or as my English limited students say: ai' viene la teacher!!

(I made some corrections to this post many hours later)

1. I'm returning to school today----just to set up my classroom.  I didn't do shit much. I wasted most of the time talking to other teachers about CST scores and about our 10 week vacation.

2. Tomorrow I'll be at a teacher training. I'm still planning to attend. On a positive note, I'll see old friends and we'll talk about, yes, CST scores!  Ahem, at those trainings, I avoid sitting next to teachers that constantly brag about their progeny's successes.

3. On Friday I'll return to school----just to set up my classroom. A promise to self: avoid teacher friends and any discussion about  CST scores! 

4. Next Monday:  the school year starts, officially. Lots and lots of meetings on that day about, yes, our CST scores and about how we are going to improve them next year.

5. On Tuesday: more and more meetings about CST Scores . The principal would probably do some scolding for not meeting the API and AYP on the CST Scores. She'll remind us that fourth grade teachers are the best! (At this point in my career, the only thing worth giving a fuck is student learning and NOT about fourth grade teachers).

6. On Wednesday, gulp, students officially start school. The first day of school is bitter sweet. I'm happy to see fresh new second graders in my classroom, but I can't help missing my previous students.

p.s.

 The CST scores are up on the internet.  I promise Homeland Security won't be after you if you see our scores. I am a public employee, therefore, my CST scores are available to the public (motherfucker!).  If you know the name of the county where I live and the name of the  school district where I work, plus! the name of my school (hint hint it starts with Mck) you'll see my grade level scores (second grade).  You won't see my personal scores, but you'll see my scores combined with the other second grade teachers' scores. No names are made public! (Thank you, Goddess of Standardized Assessements!)

Good luck finding me.

Oh, and my students did very well on the CST. I'm so proud of them! For your information, I had a bunch of bright students, but with major behavior issues, fuck me! I was ready to quit back in May.  Also, I should mention that my students are limited in English and the CST is in, yes, English! Further, most of my students live under the poverty line and you how that is, poverty and education. I can cry you a river.  


(I haven't seen Waiting For Superman, but I was told about the scene at the beginning of this video clip. I don't support Charter Schools, but I DO support effective schools and effective teachers).


7 comments:

  1. Meetings or sutdents... What can frighten more?

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  2. Well, your students will are proud with you.
    As you of them.
    The job is the job... but teach need a special vocation.
    That is not a job like any.
    Bureaucratic meetings -glup-?
    Good luck.

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  3. I don't really know what a CST score is... I guess I wouldn't give a shit about it :) It sounds pretty much to that kind of competition that would have been meaningless if you won it, but since you didn't, everybody is like... all over your face about it. Boo, boring :)

    How? How many weeks did you say? For duck's sake...

    Big hug! (_:

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  4. Ps) Anyway, I like to be reading you again and glad to be leaving a comment. Or two.

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  5. For what I´ve read a charter school is not a guarantee of a good school necessarily.

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  6. To all:

    Thanks for your comments guys!

    Oops, I guess I didn't explain the meaning of the CST. And, yes, it would be boring to attempt to clarify it. Regardless, thanks again for reading my crazy thoughts despite the lack of meaning.

    ReplyDelete