A post described an article in USA Today about the high attrition of teachers in recent years. The article quotes people who say that new young teachers must be comfortable with endless testing because it is all they ever knew. As one person says, these new teachers were 11 years old when NCLB passed. They have lived with test, test, test all their lives as students, so they must be okay with inflicting test, test, test on their students.
This teacher disagrees:
I am a young and inexperienced teacher, I am not afraid to admit it! I yes I did grow up with NCLB and standardized testing, and I guess they are right, I am obsessed with it, I AM OBSESSED WITH GETTING RID OF IT!!!
I hope there are more like her. If they can get rid of this testing OCD then there is hope for the future and for American education. If not, I fear those in their late twenties and early thirties may be the last to be truly educated. I used to tell my kids that life wasn’t a multiple-choice test. Today, I can’t say that for fear that my students will say, Oh yes it is. And if it isn’t then why are we practicing for and taking the test.
it is a he. It is Jeremiah.
Thanks Urbanlad! It is certainly a challenge to say that and to not conform to the testing ways, but I am not going to let anyone tell me that teaching the test is real teaching, and I won’t stop until we get real education back in the classroom.
Time to teach students to think with creativity!! Not just spit out answers on a test. Creativity creates progress!!
Ultimately, maybe those who have been subjected to the nonsense that is standardized testing will be the ones to give impetus to jettisoning said nonsense. Unfortunately at this point and time there are still way too many current teachers who cannot, will not or are too afraid to stand up to this insanity.
I feel so honored to be posted! Thank you Diane. This is such an important issue that I hope other young and new teachers like myself (and even other teachers who have already been in the field) will see the value and importance of taking the fight as well. I did not go to want to go to college to get a degree about how to teach a test. I came to get a degree on how to teach, how to excite learning in a student. I certainly did not want to go to the education field to teach a test, and I certainly won’t let anyone tell me otherwise!
I did not want to go to college to get a degree about how to teach a test*
thank you, Jeremiah, for your stand-up integrity!
I believe there are many more like Jeremiah. As a retired teacher, I can speak without worrying about being punished. There are many of us who will continue to stand with you. Keep the faith. There are many children, yet unborn, who will need teachers like you.