Professional development at its’ best
on a Friday afternoon
the little ones long gone
and we are huddled for a meeting
preparing for PARCC tests
next week.
My brain is drained
my bones are tired
and my spirit lags
knowing we’ve spent all year
differentiating,
focusing on vigor,
creativity,
and voice.
Only now to test
uniformly,
rigorously,
’til death do them part.
With rules upon rules
and secure measures taken
ensuring chain-of-custody
for the sacred tests.
No teacher reading
No books
No grading
No reading
Just hover
watching
every
student
so
no
one
cheats.
Madness.
I crave,
sensibility,
respect,
rationale,
and the opportunity
to
just
focus
on
teaching.
I crave
love
for
learning
instead
of jamming thermometers
into students
to measure
and test
and collect data
precious data
profitable data
that can be used
to tell
whatever story
they want
about
students
and teachers
and failed schools,
while charging us
for the privilege.
I crave
a reset
on learning
on schools
on the narrative of teachers.
Once heroes
now saddled
and blamed
at what expense?
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You have eloquently captured the heart and voice of so many educators! Truth flowing in a poetic river! Your post made me think of Seuss and Prelutsky’s Hooray for Diffendoofer Day. I may need to go read that now 😉
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This. Is. Beautiful. As you maybe noticed, I had to take a break from Twitter, but I am so glad that I happened to see this anyway. Every word of this is so true. So heartbreakingly true. I am lucky to know you and your students are so lucky to have you speaking up for them. We do this job and we carry these burdens and we gain so much by sharing that with this world. Thank you for this.
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If I may ask, why the break? Hope all is well with you!
Thank you for the kind words.
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GUt wrenching. It’s so absurd. We PARCC it up on the 23rd. Give us strength!
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Amen. I’m so ready for a teacher revolution. How can we be respected as a profession when we’re allowing this to happen?
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Thank you for this… your poem pretty much captures it!
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Who knew that Thin Mints and Coke could produce such brilliance!!?!? Clearly the world needs more cookies and soda. All kidding aside, this is a brilliant statement on the state of education today. It’s raw, honest, yet eloquent and thoughtful. Thanks for continuing to share your blog with me! I’m really enjoying it!
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You see what you inspired!?
I still plan to do a Thin Mints & Coke post…just not sure when.
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This post brought me to tears. It is raw and honest and open about the career that I chose, the job that I do, and the children I love– and how it has become so hard and heart-breaking so much of the time. Time with the students is magical– especially when I can close my door and focus on the teaching and learning. As soon as I walk into the workroom, begin browsing Facebook, or pick up a newspaper though – all of what is difficult about this work slams into me, and I wonder how many more hits I (we-teachers) can take.
I especially love how you say:
“to measure
and test
and collect data
precious data
profitable data
that can be used
to tell
whatever story
they want
about
students
and teachers
and failed schools,…”
I, too, crave a reset. Thank you for expressing so much of what I’m feeling…. I hope it gets better–for all of us!
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I wasn’t walking in the PARCC, but I was ISTEP ping, which is Indiana’s test. You have said so many things that are true, sad, right on and wrong. We are stuffing them with testing thermometers. I don’t know the answer but I sure wish someone would fix it. I hope you feel better after “venting”, I mean slicing with this post! 🙂 Well done.
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So well said. “Smarter Balanced” here. Such oxymoronic names these tests have.
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As a grade 3 teacher in Ontario for many years (15+) I was forced to give my students the EQAO test every May.(what a gift!) The politics of testing is absurd, destructive, damaging. One student’s comment from early in the testing cycle still resonates “But you’re a teacher – you’re supposed to help!” I refused to teach to the test as so many of Ontario teachers did. My main goal was to instill a love of reading and that was paramount. Another student’s words still resonate after hearing a harrowing scene while I was reading “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” (sorry – spoiler alert!) – “No she can’t die!”, with tears. This was an intellectually challenged student who could always retell the chapter/story when asked and always was so involved. No she couldn’t do the test and yet she was always drawn into stories and recognized the humanity in them.
Sorry – you touched a nerve. The politics of teaching is what ultimately caused me to retire. I still miss those times of connection when I read aloud.
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Your poem so wonderfully depicts the madness of our teaching lives….I felt scared reading it…and I feel scared so often as I want the stress roll through out hallways.
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You have nailed my sentiments exactly. OMG! I can’t even speak about it because I just don’t know what to say. You say it here. With such potent vocabulary, sacred tests, thermometer, at whose expense. Really!
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I was really moved by this. I think that teachers need to reflect on how this makes us feel. We aren’t being asked to teach more, just assess more. How can data change without teaching? It’s just bad thinking. It’s like a land of alcoholics. The data is their liquor.
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Sure hope you can go back to teaching very soon. Hang in there. Keep fighting the good fight for your students!
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Right there with you. We had two inservices this week (I refuse to call them professional development). One on ethics (which we supposedly need every time we give a different test, which seems like it’s every two weeks this year) and one from PARCC. And now we are facing another one on Monday on how to log on and use all of the computer stuff, so we can do the actual test on Tuesday. BLEAH! You have captured it perfectly.
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Clearly your post struck a chord with all of us. Poetically speaking I loved the one word per line structure that literally pulled me down the page. Thank you for sharing and for putting into words how so many of us feel.
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Your title brought me here but your words fill me with sadness because I know it’s true. You’ve obviously struck a nerve and a cheering audience. Well done!
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This breaks my heart – I’m so glad you used your voice to tell this story. So important.
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Spot on. Thank you for this. Children and teachers…our society…deserves better.
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At the expense of the children….
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I sent this to Diane Ravitch. She wants your permission to post. Please check email.
I read this with fondness for you and horror for all of us, teachers and our beautiful children. Really, how much more can we all take?
My heart is broken and I am exhausted.
Those in charge (district, state, federal and all the edudilettantes) who never mastered the art of teaching need to step aside and find a new hobby.
They are destroying our profession and our schools.
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Amen, Linda! A new hobby… indeed.
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So sad that teaching has come down to this.
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I could have written this post because it reflects my thoughts exactly. There are students who I know will never “pass” the test, but I know in my heart will be successful in life and a contributor to society. Unfortunately, the state doesn’t measure my heart.
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Yes, yes, yes. Beautifully stated. I went for a walk in the PARCC this week. Another walk next week. And this is my fist clenching moment:
“profitable data that can be used to tell whatever story they want about students and teachers
and failed schools, while charging us for the privilege.”
And I wonder what will become of PARCC in a year, two years, five years … will we still be living this madness in education? And all that money. Makes me sick.
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So powerful whether or not PARCC is the instrument of torture. Here in PA, they’ve devised their own month long marathon. That you didn’t intend to write this just shows how important it is. Donald Murray said we all have two or three really important topics in us. For teachers, this is it right now.
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Well said. Two tests in and still overally frustrated with it all on so many levels. Just let us teach. Just let them learn.
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We’re in the middle of PARCC testing – finished 6th grade – and since I teach all the gifted 5th & 6th grade readers in my building, my schedule is changed for 12 days (and will be again in April/May). My non-negotiables, independent reading & reading aloud, those things that bring literacy joy to my students, are put on hold. Technology glitches, stress, and wasted instruction time abound. Heartbreaking. I know I need to write about this eventually, but it’s really hard for me. Your post gives me courage to tackle it one of these days.
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Funny thing is, I had no intention to write about PARCC. I have a list of 30+ ideas to blog about, and it is nowhere on the list. I actually sat down to “lift a line” from a post by Kendra Limback. I titled my post, “Thin Mints & Coke”, and began to write about staff meeting that fictionally ended with these as refeshments.
Apparently my frustrations with PARCC bubbled over, and flowed freely, overtaking what was meant to be a fun post!
I guess sometimes the piece writes itself!
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All I can say is…AMEN!! Your post reminds me of everything that is ridiculous about our testing culture in education today. I love that you put your thoughts into a poem.
Jennier
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Amazing eloquent! A sad indictment of the current status of education with a focus on numbers and proficiency instead of on joyful learning. Good Luck”
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Cripes … this is what our profession is coming, too, right? Madness is the word I would reach for, too. Your poem strikes a strong chord, and I say that with respectful regret.
Peace
Kevin
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Tomorrow I’ll be posting an idea for a innovative, collaborative posts. I hope it intrigues you! I’m looking for a few people that might be interested in writing a collaborative piece, either with me, or with another writing friend.
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Your poem is inspiring. I wish the occasion for your writing about testing did not exist. I wish you were walking in the park and not in the PARCC.
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I love the raw, authentic honesty of this poem. This is truth at it’s deepest level. Thank you.
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Oh wow! You nailed it! As sad as it is, I thank you for so eloquently putting our feelings into words. Well done!
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Love this!
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