What I’ll Be Doing …

… For the Next Three Weeks is this:Count test booklets and answer booklets every morningDistribute pencils, rulers, scrap paperRead tedious instructionsWalk up and down the aisles for 60-90 minutesThat last part is actually more appealing than usual this year....

PRIZES!

The first annual PAYA Book Festival on Saturday was so many kinds of awesome, I could hardly contain myself! First of all, I was thrilled to meet wonderful authors like Jon Skovron, Jennifer Hubbard, Amy Brecount-White, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jeri Smith-Ready, and...

Don’t Wanna Go Back!

WAH! A week from tomorrow, the 2010-2011 school year starts for me. The kids have another week off, but teachers return next Tuesday. Here’s how I feel about it:Yup. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not the kids and it’s not teaching that I dread. It’s being forcibly...

Ivory Tower Thinking

Are you sick of hearing me complain about standardized tests? My students are certainly sick of taking them. One of them even came to school yesterday in spite of having thrown up at home that morning. He held himself together just long enough to finish his test.If he...

Students Express Themselves

Pennsylvania students are currently in the throes of their yearly state testing. The testing window is shorter than ever, with only 8 days to complete 6 tests and all make-ups due to absences. Fifth grade students get the pleasure of following that up with another 4...