Last day of summer school: THE TEST

Ugh. My first day of summer and I am up at 6:00. Nice.

Yesterday was our last day of summer school. We celebrated our last day by administering the state standardized test (TAKS) in Reading.

I only had three kids in my testing room and you would think this would make it really easy.

All three of my “testers” were 8th grade boys.

Boy A who choose a spot in the left back corner of the room.
Boy B who choose a spot in the middle of the back of the room.
Boy C who choose a spot in the right back corner of the room.

Granted I didn’t tell them where to sit, but then I wasn’t sure if they could all be in the back of the room. I checked with one of our test coordinators because I didn’t want to get in trouble.

Then I had to pick up their cell phones. Boy C did not have one, “cuz I ain’t rich, Miss.”

Next, I read the directions…which are long and I am convinced no one listens too. They have had these very same directions read to them 6 times this year as they took TAKS tests in Math, Science, Social Studies and Reading—3 times.

They had to write their names on their test booklets. Boy C must have heard me say something about student name, so on his test booklet he wrote, “Student.” I said, “Boy C, you have to write your name on the test booklet…not student.” OH.

Now it was time for them to begin. The boys “read” for a bit but were completely distracted. On testing days I have a particular routine of walking around the room and sitting/standing for various bits of time. I usually walk for three minutes, stay in a particular area for two, sit for one, and then move around again.

I notice the clock on the wall reads 9:45.

I continue my walking/sitting/standing routine. The clock still reads 9:45.

I notice Boy C is in La La Land. Maybe my walking around is distracting him? Maybe I should just stay in one spot for a while?

I finally realize the clock is broken—thank God because I was actually afraid that time might have stopped.

All three boys are completely distracted at the real time of 9:50, so I have them all close their tests and I pick them up so they can take a break.

We get back to work and Boy C asks me ten minutes later, “Can we take a break?” I shake my head no, we just took one.

Twenty more minutes go by. The boys have lost their minds. I decide we need another break.

Boy C suggests we turn off the fluorescent lights in the classroom because they are “too distracting.”

Ok. Now, the lights are off, and to his credit it appears he is actually working…for about 20 minutes.

By this time it is almost 11:00. I know that other classrooms are done and I still have all 3 boys testing. I am glad they are taking their time but I am worried about their testing/reading endurance.

Meanwhile, I am about to die. I have mentally composed a book in my head. I have walked so many times around the classroom I feel my shin splints popping back up. Because of where the boys decided to sit, if I sit at the front of the room I don’t want them to think I am staring at them, so I look at the floor, the walls, the door—anywhere but at the boys.

Side note: Did you know from the word education, you can make the word dunce? Yep, I figured that out yesterday. There was a poster hanging in this classroom that read, “Intelligence plus character…that is the goal of true education.”

I later looked this up. Thank you for that nugget of wisdom, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Finally, Boy A raises his hand signaling he is finished with his test. Boy B is not much farther behind him.

Boy C is still distracted/working.

Thankfully it is almost lunch time. Only a few more minutes.

Since Boy C is still working, he gets to go to another room to finish testing after his lunch.

And, that ends my summer school teaching career.