I believe that I am not alone in worrying about teaching towards the standardized tests. I am afraid that all I will do is focus on that test and that my students show improvement. I also know that if I follow the rules of Regie Routman, my students will pass the writing portion. On pages 78-80, I felt that Regie and Bill Ayers sat down together and wrote those pages.
I loved how Regie said that she messed up by judging what the teachers were doing and took over the conversations. She admitted that she fell to the pressures to cover more material. As wonderful as she is at teaching writing and turning children into writers, she too is human and makes mistakes. Even the best aren’t the best all the time.
I also liked reading about Cory. Neither his teachers nor he saw him as a writer. It surprised me that the teachers were surprised that Regie started out by focusing on what Cory was good at. Why would they be? Isn’t our job to see what students are good at? Especially if we are to put them into table groups? The thing I am going to take away from this story is: “Try to focus more on what the child is trying to do and less on what we are trying to teach.” In other words, focus on them as writers and the standardized tests will come on its own.
Sound familiar Mr. Ayers?
Hurray! Mr. Ayers would be proud! Routman also says that we should focus on the writer and not the writing. I love how she helps us think about the child as a writer rather than marking up a paper. She, like Ayers, helps us to see the child behind the writing.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it seems so easy to get caught up in the hype of teaching to standards and "the test". It's going to take a lot of courage and gumption to teach how and what we feel is best for our students, but I think it will be better in the long run too.
I am sure Routman and Ayers have spent some time together...now if only I could have a sit down with both of them! although I would probably choke on my words if I had the two of them in a room with me.
ReplyDeleteI too like that Routman admitted she got sucked into the standardized testing black hole, but I also appreciate that she was able to realized what she was doing and fight to make a change. The pressures to make AYP each year is something all of us will have to experience being teachers. It's nice to know that even the best can get sucked in. I think the bigger challenge for all of us is being able to realize we are heading down that road so we can stop and turn around.
We all want whats best for our students and we are all creative so lets put our heads together and find a better way to serve our students and children. After all they will leading our country one day!