This is only a test. This is only a test. This is only a test.

There is no emergency. There is no cause for alarm.

Wish it were that simple. But, despite the fact that I don’t even call them tests, despite the fact that I try–and try again–to put their minds at ease. Tests equal stress.

We took our first performance yesterday, and while I am only a class and a half into scoring them, I have learned–to no surprise–that we have work to do. Identifying, stating, and supporting themes is no easy task. It takes practice; it takes support; it takes time. I know this. But my kids haven’t really internalized this notion, for they have come to believe–for that’s how they’ve been conditioned–that the test tells all. It knows all. It means all. But it doesn’t. Not really. It’s simply a snapshot, a peek into where kids are in the moment. At least in my class. But I suppose I put the least in least, for in most of their classes, it does tell, know, and mean all. Seems, then, I am fighting a losing battle. Hard to instill in kids a different view when they’ve only had one window to look through over the entirety of their experience. Still, it’s a fight I am willing to shoulder, as I seek to change my kiddos’ mindsets about the role that assessment plays in their learning.

But that is not going to happen over night. It’ll take time, and it’ll take some urging to get them to think about their experiences differently. So, I try–big and small–to turn their heads to other windows.

Here are a few “windows” that I presented yesterday before the performance.

And, at the end, I tried again before I asked them to reflect on the experience in their Journey Journals.

Performances in hand.

“This is just a pile of papers. They will go away. They are not you. You can view them as a grade, or you can view them as an opportunity to learn and grow. I wish the latter on you. That is what I want for you. That is what I want from you. It’s just a test, folks. Just a test.”

And then we ended our day with a Sappy Sy.

Windows, not doors. And though some kids will be disappointed, maybe even hurt–old wounds resurface–by their results, I hope eventually they come to see what I am about.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail…

…we will begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…say our Mindset Mantra.

…enjoy our Personal Reading day.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all. Glad you are here. Thank you.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.