I am quickly learning that you just never know what a professional development workshop is going to be like until you get there and experience it. I thought that the STAAR Summit that I went to today was pretty good and it made me realize just how unprepared my campus really is for the next test in Texas.
Today at the workshop we were provided quite a bit of time to work collaboratively with our campus team about how we can help our campus be successful with these new testing standards. On the sheet that we were given we were asked to bring a curriculum guide, pacing guide, or scope and sequence. I got to thinking about that and realized that we do not really have anything like that for Language Arts on my campus. We know that we are moving to CSCOPE eventually, but there is nothing in place for the mean time. After talking with my principal about this, I came to the conclusion that I am going to have to start being a leader within my grade level and content and get us 4 all on the same page with the YAG. To be honest, the thought of this is really overwhelming to me right now. Why is the first year teacher having to get the veteran teachers all on the same page? Shouldn't they be the ones helping me? To be honest, I am honored that my principal thinks I am capable of this as a first year teacher. I guess it will have to start on December 7th when we have a 6th grade ELA planning day.
I am also struggling with this whole testing change. I don't understand how we can get rid of something when not all of the students were successful with it yet. If kids had trouble with the TAKS test, how can we expect them to be successful on the STAAR test? I think that there are going to be a lot of headaches this first year or two, and hopefully it will get better.We can only wait and see.
If you are in Texas, what sort of things is your district or campus doing to get you all ready for the new STAAR exam?
If you are in Texas, what sort of things is your district or campus doing to get you all ready for the new STAAR exam?
Hey Katie... good ???'s. We are TESTING them all the time. We just took a math and reading practice STAAR last week that were both so hard. We had over 50% of our kids fail both. Our district is making the practice tests so difficult on purpose in hopes that it will prepare them for STAAR. There is no way STAAR can be as hard as our practice tests or everyone will fail.
ReplyDeleteLindsay
msnoren.blogspot.com
I'm not in the US, so I can't really give you advice on how to set your students up for this exam, but just wanted to drop by to tell you that no, although you shouldn't have to be leading something like this as a first year teacher, your principal wouldn't have asked you to do this if they didn't think you were capable. :)
ReplyDeleteKatie-
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny that states are CONSTANTLY changing things? Before we even know if the old things are working or not??!! In Alabama we have been giving the ARMT (Alabama Reading and Math Test) each spring. Now it will be the ARMT Plus! And we received a 15 minute training on it! LOL! Good luck with your new responsibility-I wish our district had grade level meetings like yours. :)
P.S.-Do you think you could add an email subscription button to your blog? Google reader is too overwhelming for me! :)
Shannon
http://6thgradescottforesmanreadingstreetresources.wordpress.com/
Cscope! And trying to teach the kids to put clues together and think! By the way, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments and questions
ReplyDelete