Having been back in the classroom a good two weeks now since returning from Denver, you’d think my students and I would have adjusted back to our normal schedule already, but what is normal, really?
Here’s a glimpse at our week right after the conference:
Monday: “Today you will take the Science/writing portion of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) …”
Tuesday: “Today you will take Reading, Part 1 and Math, Part 1 of the AIMS…”
Wednesday: “Today is a half day so please rest your brain and don’t think about testing even though you’ve been testing the past two days and will test the next two days.”
Thursday: “Today you will take Reading, Part 2 and Math, Part 2 of the AIMS…”
Friday: “Today you will take Reading, Part 3 and Math, Part 3 of the AIMS…”
You’re right if you concluded that we state standardized assessed the week right after the conference (two weeks ago), which was just plain crazy. Essentially, I had to field my kindergartener and first graders out to general education classrooms while I tested my older students. I am so thankful the general education classroom teachers at my school were so willing to take in students that stressful week.
Last week, we finished up AIMS make-ups and then my fourth and third graders also had to take our District’s computerized trimester benchmarks, which I had to administer individually. This meant my other students, while still in the room, were mainly taught by my wonderful paraprofessionals.
So far this week, my three first graders have been cycling through individually taking their computerized benchmarks with me, which means more heavy reliance on my paraprofessionals to do the bulk of the other students’ instruction.
Let’s just say we’re all a little tested out and craving some serious routine. Some of my kids have even been acting out to try and spend more time in the self-contained classroom rather than being mainstreamed out.
Who says it’s the kids that need routine to feel safe and secure? I think it’s more the adults who crave the consistency because I know at least for the adults in my room, routine sounds like heaven right about now. But alas, we can all look forward to individualized kindergarten computerized benchmarks next week … thank goodness I only have one kindergartener!
Has your school been testing like crazy recently, too? Do you try and stick to as normal a schedule as possible during those crazy weeks or do you just throw all normalcy out the window? And the bigger question here, do you find yourself craving routine as much as I do as the end of the school year creeps up?
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