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‘Frustrated students, irate parents, and criminal teachers’

5:48 pm January 21, 2010, by jgalloway

One of the hazards of hanging around a particular place too long are the obligations that mount up.

For instance, if your 7th grade teacher sends you a small treatise on students and testing – and expects you to publish it because she was your 7th grade teacher, and there are certain things that she knows about you – well, then, you do what you’re told.

The following is from Martha Pendley of Fayetteville, who, once upon a time, taught at the Meadows Elementary School off Old National Highway:

I am 86 years old and taught frequently until I was 80. I get annoyed by the controversy of “No Child Left Behind.” Of course, some children will be left behind others. They were born that way. Height, weight, IQ, interests, ambitions – the Good Lord made us that way.

A teacher’s job is to evaluate students, accept those differences, and working effectively with them – not to reject or warp them by forcing them to work at an impossible level.

Testing students should be for three purposes:

– To determine what the group as a whole knows and to identify those who need special attention;

– to use the information and instruct effectively to do the maximum good;

– And to determine the effectiveness of your program.

No teacher can ever expect to make all students equal. The challenge is to find ways to meet the needs of students at their level, accepting that there will be a need to group, individualize or accept that some students will not be capable of achieving at a higher level. So help them achieve at their level.

As for “teaching the test,” why not? It makes no sense to test for what has not been taught. Teach in Greek and test in English?

Give students a list of answers? No. But teach the test and then test to see if they are capable of understanding and retaining the material. That’s what politicians consider “teaching the test.”

It is remarkable that, 40 or 50 years ago, we were capable of graduating doctors, lawyers, rocket scientists, bank presidents, journalist, and we enjoyed seeing the students progress at their intended level.

Now we are expected to make geniuses of normal students, so we wind up with frustrated students, irate parents, and criminal teachers.

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8 comments Add your comment

James

January 21st, 2010
6:24 pm

As an educator for 14 years, Ms. Pendley’s thoughts are so accurate! Many teachers often feel this way about students. The current state of education in Georgia is pitiful. The legislatures who make educational mandates and laws have little or no understanding of how public schools operate. Let’s admit it, some children are going to be left behind. Because we do not want to admit that, students are now being asked to be mediocre. Look at the CRCT. It is rumored that 3rd grade students need to only get less than 40% of the answers correct in order to pass. Last time I checked 40% meant failure.

Our society is trophy society. Look at rec leagues. Everybody gets a trophy just for showing up and playing. We no longer tell kids that this sport may not be for you. Every child can succeed. Every child is special. Every child should go to college. Every child thinks just because they show up in school that they should pass; and Georgia keeps reiterating this state of mind.

Judge Smails

January 21st, 2010
6:31 pm

Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too.

Keith

January 21st, 2010
6:56 pm

Right on Ms. Pendley! Some kids just need to be taught how to say “Would you like fries with that?”

ScienceTeacher671

January 21st, 2010
7:08 pm

James, for high school EOCTs, students need to get 45% of the questions correct in order to pass, and 65% correct in order to “exceed expectations” and get an A on the test.

The state DOE sets very low expectations for our students, and unfortunately, the parents are misled into thinking their children are doing well.

Raw Milk Drinker

January 22nd, 2010
7:28 am

Well said Miss Pendley! My four siblings and my wife’s four siblings are all smart, but we have had vastly different ambitions in life: farmers,genetic scientists,teachers,nationally respected classical musicians. carpenters, and route salesman. We all were expected to do our best in school by our parents,our teachers, and our neighbors. Some of us are better at tests than others, but we get up and go to work everyday intending to be the best we can at what we do as an occupation. Judge Smails is right, somebody has to dig the ditches and build the buildings that the professionals work out of. A lot of ditch diggers that I have worked with know more about water flow than some of the highest paid engineers and architects do.

Aaron Burr V. Mexico

January 22nd, 2010
11:36 am

“If everyone is special, NO ONE is special.” – Dash, The Incredibles.

oldspartan

January 22nd, 2010
2:05 pm

GA has left our students hanging with the new math, only one route to graduate, and a state super that doesnt get it. students moving into GA lose a year because of this ill concieved math program. things that have happened can be corrected but do them now dont wait for the 2008 freshman to start college in a couple of years and find the new math didnt align with any college courses in GA or other colleges outside GA.

Thoughtful

January 25th, 2010
10:11 am

Bravo Ms. Pendley. Do we allow congress decide how to perform surgery or design computers? Why are we letting elected officials decide how to teach? As a mathematician, I applaud the use of appropriate measures. However, I also understand that it requires subject matter experts to determine appropriate measures, not lay people looking to drive their own agenda on tax cuts or public funding of private education.