ONE
Last week I went to a three hour training where we mainly talked about what they now call "assessment." Testing. How to do it. Formative vs. summative assessment. Why we assess. How often to assess. How to discuss assessments.
I sat there thinking, how does this mesh with a Biblical view of testing? At Heritage we talked about testing as a necessary because of sin, as in people won't learn or study unless there is a test they know is coming up.
Maybe that's true at Heritage, where the upper-middle-class kids are mostly grades driven, but not at Ben Davis, where the majority of my students don't study much for their tests, and don't really care about them. Every test I've administered I've had at least one person put his/her head down on the desk and sleep through the test. So testing as a tool to MAKE kids learn really isn't valid. It's more of a tool to see what they've mastered in class. Perhaps a more accurate measure.
So as I'm rethinking my philosophy of testing, I'm also watching friends go through trials/testing, and remembering why God tests us. It produces patience/perseverance/character, and hope. It is for our good. A lot of times it's something we don't expect and don't cram for, but it does show up how well we've been doing in growing in knowledge of God daily.
TWO
On a different note, here are some more westside cultural observations I've observed over the last few weeks.
1. Trash. The kids won't reach into a trash can for anything, not even to recover something rather valuable to them. Not even if their paper is right on top of a whole bunch of other papers. The worst thing you can do is throw something in the trash. So I find myself having to pick through the trash to give kids back what they need for class. Like a paper that they crumpled up that's worth ten points.
2. Lotion. Very important, always around, even the boys lathering it on.
3. Loss. So many of the kids have lost loved ones. They commemorate their dead loved ones by buying t-shirts or sweatshirts with the person's name, RIP, and perhaps a photo on it, and wearing it around. It breaks my heart to see how much significant loss they have suffered so young. I guess what they wear is the only way they have of silently protesting the ache and the injustice of losing people so young so frequently.
THREE
I had parent teacher conferences this week, and it was great to see so many supportive parents and guardians come out. I learned a lot about a few of my students by meeting their parents (as always). It is good to be reminded that each one of my students is a son or a daughter, and each parent wants to see his/her child do well. Just like on back-to-school night, the students come with their parents for the most part, so we had some good conversations that I hope will improve some things in class. I discovered it was great to talk to the student with the parent listening in. In some conferences I even just interrogated the student and let them do the telling of why s/he was getting an F. I also had several parents stop in just to hear how well their student is doing. One parent even told me her daughter really likes my class!!!!
So I've made it through a quarter of the year. I suppose things are getting easier. I don't think anything will be as hard as that first awful confusing week of school. (at least I hope not). I at least recognize almost all of the faces I see in the hallway. I know all my students, and they're getting to know me, and some of them may even like me. A handful even enjoy my class.
So I will continue on, fighting the good fight and giving it all I've got!!
