Just Call Him Mr. McFeely

 

Don started working as a substitute mail carrier for the post office about a week ago.  He is working in the Millcreek area off of 3300 South.  He is limping around like an old man.  He runs from house to house because he has to have the mail delivered before 5:00 P.M. There was one day that he was way behind.  But yesterday he seemed to be getting a hang of it. I keep waiting for the neighborhood dogs to realize he is a mailman an to go wild as soon as he drives up.


http://www.tubechop.com/watch/4164217 

Praise Orrin Hatch

I sent Orrin Hatch a link to my blog.  I really did not expect an answer.  I just wanted to let the senators and representatives know a teacher's point of view about current education.  I thought it was classy that he responded.  I also sent links to Mia Love, Jason Chavetz, Mike Lee, and Chris Stewart. 

Orrin Hatch response

Dear Mrs. Moore:

            Thank you for contacting me to express concern with SAGE testing and the use of test results to measure student and teacher performance. As an educator, I appreciate the role that you play in preparing future generations of society and am glad you shared with me some of your thoughts on testing. I welcome the opportunity to respond.

            As you know, the Student Assessment of Growth and Excellence (SAGE) is Utah’s assessment system aligned to the state’s core standards. In your blog, you assert that placing too much emphasis on SAGE and other test results fail to actually improve the education of students. I believe that we should do all we can to teach children, and equip them with the needed skills to succeed in an increasingly global society.

            While there are a variety of thoughts and opinions on what role testing should play in measuring student success, ultimately I believe these decisions are most effectively made at the state and local levels with appropriate federal support. I believe with more local control parents, teachers, and administrators will be able to address and implement the needed changes in local schools.

            As choices regarding curriculum and testing standards for Utah students are primarily made at the state and local level, I would encourage you to share your concerns with your representatives in the Utah State Legislature and with state education officials. You can find their information by visiting http://le.utah.gov/.

Again, thank you for writing to me.  I hope you continue to share your concerns and suggestions with me in the future. If you would like to have regular updates on my work in the U.S. Senate, I encourage you to subscribe to my E-newsletter, visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter.

Life as a Teacher

Life as a teacher is much different than it used to be.  Teachers used to be appreciated.  When students struggled, it was up to the student to improve.  Nowadays, if students are below or struggling, it is blamed on the teacher.  When I first started teaching, I agreed with this concept.  I felt it was my duty as a teacher to get all the students up to grade level and fill in all the gaps.  What I didn't have was experience actually teaching.

What I see now is that there are students that should have been held back a grade and are still allowed to move up to the next grade.  This is something done in Utah, but not most other states.  In fact, in Nevada, students have to pass end of year exams.  In their last year of school, they must pass a huge exam before they can get their degree.  In Utah, elementary school and junior high school, students can fail all their classes and tests and still go on.  Students learn fast that it really doesn't matter if they put any effort into school, because they are not held accountable. 

I have a student that should not be in second grade.  He does not know how to sit in a chair.  He can't add single digits (We are adding triple digits currently) and cannot read one syllable words.  Yet, he is in second grade and I am expected to have him up to second grade level by the end of the year.  I approached the parents about getting him tested for special interventions.  Their response was that I hate their son and haven't realized how smart he is.  They refused special testing and any thing else that I have suggested, because I "hate him".  He doesn't have a coat.  I tried to get him School Bell and Shop with a Cop so that he could get the clothes he needed.  His parents were livid.  I have my hands tied.  I cannot get him tested without parental consent.  I cannot get him the services he needs to be successful.

My district mandates end of level tests for every unit.  The tests are called "Interims".  These results go to the principal, vice-principal, and the district.  After the tests, we have a meeting where our results are compared to other teachers in the school and district.  The district insists that the results have no bearing on the teacher whatsoever.  But yet, these results are brought up in evaluation meetings throughout the year.

The 2nd language arts interim mandated by the district includes two different stories that students read and answer questions.  There are also questions about spelling, vocabulary, and grammar.  The district has specified that the teachers are only allowed to read the questions and not give any extra help.  Students must read the story on their own.

So I gave my students the 2nd language arts interim yesterday and today.  In my class, I have 18 students that have grown up speaking a different language other than English.  I have many students that cannot read grade level texts.  Three of my students cannot read.  My question is, how is it fair that I cannot read the stories to my students?  How are my students supposed to answer questions to something that they themselves cannot read?

So much emphasis is put on testing and results.  This is ineffective.  We should follow Finland's example.  Finland uses a non-competitive educational system.  They do not put students under testing stress or competition.  They are one of the most successful countries of the world.  Japan, #1 in education, includes testing but limits the length of said tests and does not over test.  American is putting their emphasis on the wrong thing.  The worst part, I have no say.

After seven years of teaching, a B.A. in Elementary Education, a Masters in Education with an emphasis on reading, and an ESL endorsement, I know my students' strengths and weaknesses.  I know ahead of time whether a student has mastered a concept and whether they will pass an end of unit assessment.  I know which students are not intellectually mature enough to understand a concept.  I know which students will pass with flying colors.  The state and the country does not seem to understand this.  More trust needs to be put into the teachers.

SAGE testing

The above screen shot is a practice question on the SAGE for fifth grade math.  Notice how students need to drag the numbers to the correct spot.  It is not multiple choice in this instance.

I have read and listened to news agencies explain SAGE testing and I am not impressed.  I am not sure how they can even call it reporting when they have such misinformation.  SAGE testing cannot be compared to CRT tests in any way.  News agencies have reported that students scores went down and that shows students are not as educated as they have been in the past.  This is like comparing apples to oranges.  They are two different beasts.

At a faculty meeting we were discussing how to get correct information out to the public.  We decided the best way was to send individual results home to parents and then invite parents to a meeting where they could find out more about SAGE testing.  One teacher suggested putting some actual questions from the SAGE test up on a screen to show parents the difference of SAGE questions verses CRT questions.  What a concept! 

CRT tests measured students ability to regurgitate answers.  Students were given a choice of A, B,C, or D.  They colored in one circle and went on the the next question.  Growing up I was taught that if I didn't know the answer, I should just choose C.  Over the years, it became clear that students were not really being tested on what they knew, but one their ability to take tests.  

SAGE tests are set up to measure comprehension.  Many questions have more than one answer.  Some questions tell students to choose all the correct answers to a question.  There could be three choices that need to be selected in order to get a question correct.  Most questions have students prove that their answer is correct.  Students need to provide a proof drawing that the answer they have is correct by drawing a picture of some sort to show their pathway of thinking. 

As a teacher, it was difficult administering the SAGE test last year.  I would see students only choosing one answer when it said to select all the right answers.  I would see students soaring through the test, not even reading the stories that went with the questions.  The hardest was when it was a question that I had taught all year, and the student wrote the wrong answer.  I am restricted as a test administrator and am only allowed to say certain things.  So to know that a student wasn't done with a test and having to allow them to submit the test, it was a lesson in endurance. 

The SAGE test is a measuring tool for teachers to know what they have taught well and what they should spend more time teaching in the future.  It is also an indicator of what level a student in on in reading, science, and math. 

That being said, parents are at liberty to write their school district and board of education and insist that their student not take the SAGE test.  I believe there are certain students that would be better off not taking the test.  I have opted Kyath out of taking SAGE tests.  They are more of a disservice to him.  He shuts down and has a melt down when he takes tests.  Porter, Zander, and Dresden (when she is in third grade) will continue to take SAGE tests.

As a parent, you should go to www.sageportal.org and try working on some of the SAGE questions.  Then you will know if the CRT and SAGE test results can be compared.  You will find as I have, that the only thing SAGE can be compared to is SAGE. 

Praying for Trails

A Counselor in my bishopric bore his testimony about trials and how trials strengthen him in the areas he needs strength.  He said he had been praying for trials so he can learn the things he needs to learn.  I kept thinking the entire rest of sacrament meeting about how I can't pray for more trials because I haven't overcome the ones I have.  Is there a time limit on trials?  Do some last until you learn what you are supposed to learn?  What if I never learn what I am supposed to learn from a trial?  Does that mean those trials will never go away?

There were some great testimonies and I did listen to them.  But I still had this nagging voice in the background telling me what I am supposed to learn from my trials.  I kept thinking about these lessons and what was keeping me from learning what I needed to learn.  I came away from sacrament with a pounding headache. 

It seems like Sundays are the days that I look at my shortcomings and realize how far off track I am.  I am disappointed in me and I wish I was that person I knew I was going to become when I was a child.  It makes me think of the decisions I have made and made me wonder how I got here in the first place. 

I don't think that I earn special trials come just because of mistakes I myself have made.  Trials can come because of those around me and the choices they have made, among other things.  Sometimes trials come to teach me things I need to know in the future.  Trials don't always come just because of a bad choice.  Trails are just a part of life.  It is hard looking just in the present and trying to understand why I am dealing with the things I am dealing with. 

When I met with my mission president on the last day of my mission, I told him that I didn't feel like I had served a mission.  He was puzzled by my statement.  I tried to explain that I thought I would finish my mission being exalted because of all my hard work.  Instead, it was just the end of one experience and the beginning of another. 

So, when can this phase of my life end and lead to friendlier, easier phases?  Please don't tell me that it keeps getting harder.  I would like to believe that there are easier days ahead.  I am not trying to be negative.  I am just trying to understand why life gets so hard sometimes.