Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Uggghh--Teacher Rant ahead

Week two of testing has begun--my testing group (10th and 11th graders that I don't know) is wonderful and has not caused any issues.

My students are a bit more squirmy than normal, but other than fifth period's normal hoodlums, no major problems.

The real problem today?

The cranky teachers who feel the need to complain about everything, including the unreliability and waste of time of testing. The ones who want to say that they are a great teacher and their test scores don't matter because it isn't an accurate test. Everywhere I went today on campus, this cranky complainingness (a made up word for you Nicole) followed me. The one who told me at lunch that my "trust in the system truly scared" him and I was "naive" to believe that my students scores would improve it I worked hard.

I said, "oh well" and left the staff lounge (I know, it was my fault for being in there; however, I have had no prep today and really needed to get copies made and didn't feel like standing in line this morning).

I haven't stopped stewing over this (two hours later), but there is no point in bringing up my thoughts to these types of teachers. Here is what I wanted to say, but didn't (mom, I'm trying to practice choosing my battles):
  • You're just complaining because your test scores suck and you don't know how to make them better.
  • You've never been taught how to use the scores to improve your day-to-day instruction, thus you see them as numbers with no importance.
  • Because you've never been taught, and I have, my scores are higher than yours and this threatens you.
  • You need to figure out that even if you don't like multiple choice tests, they are and will continue to be used as a major part of the education system. And buddy, sooner than you realize, you'll be seriously judged upon them. Who am I kidding, you're already judged on them and that is why you're complaining in the first place.
  • You like to complain.

Of course, this mentality fills the education world and of course, it is another one of those things I'd like to change as an administrator.

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