Fifth Day Reactions

I've decided that "evaluation" and "assessment" are two of my least favorite words right now.  Pretty much everything that has been discussed around these topics in all of my classes has brought out feelings of frustration, confusion, and even panic at times.  As I was making the decision to leave the actuarial profession to pursue a career in teaching, I was aware of the tension around these issues that is so present in Michigan's educational community right now.  There were even teachers in my life who told me to really think the career change over because they had become so jaded by what was going on at the policy level.  Alas, I didn't let their warnings deter me.  I certainly don't think I have made a mistake, but the uneasiness around teacher evaluation is becoming more and more real for me.

Learning about the Smarter Balanced Assessment that will be implemented in the spring of my first year of teaching (yikes!) was a bit shocking, especially when we discussed all of the things that students will need to know just to be able to complete the assessment at a functional level (e.g., typing, scrolling, dragging/dropping).  The list kept getting longer and longer as we continued to discuss it, and it really brought to light how easy it would be to have to sacrifice lesson time that should be spent on broader curriculum goals in order to make sure that the students know what to expect from an online assessment and that they will be able to work their way through it.

Something that was made very clear is that teachers need to be thinking about these issues long before they are actually upon them.  We came up with lists of things to do to get your students ready for the Smarter Balanced Assessment, as well as ways to make sure your classroom and school have the technological resources they need.  These thoughts and ideas are not something that should just be shelved until the situation becomes an emergency.  Too often, the "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" mindset leads to disaster, and when your job is on the line, it's just too risky!

I've never been one to follow politics, but it has become quite evident that I need to start, especially where education is concerned.  When I start meeting with my mentor teacher at the end of the summer, I plan to discuss these issues with him early on so that I can continue to familiarize myself with everything that's going on and what it could mean for my future as a teacher.  After all, if I want to be able to advocate for myself, my colleagues, and/or my students, I need to be fully aware and educated!