Testing, Testing 3/21/17
Winter Break is over and students have settled into their school routine once again. The county school calendar is divided into 2 semesters or 18 weeks each. With one semester down (ended before Christmas) this second semester is about half over. That means there are only about 9 more weeks left until summer. Just 9 weeks! This doesn’t include Spring Break in April.
And here at the mid-point of the second semester, testing is not uncommon. No one looks forward to tests – students (because they have to take them) or teachers (because they have to grade them). Being an English teacher is not easy when it comes to grading. Essays, remember? I used to jokingly say, “I wonder if the more wine I drink while grading these essays if their grades will improve?”
Another hardship on an English teacher during the year and especially at mid-term testing was the copying machine that would break down at the most inopportune time. And it just didn’t break down for an hour. Sometimes it was days. Somebody had to call the company to send someone out to fix it. And by fix it, I mean that took all day, too. One couldn’t wait to see the taped sign that said, “NOT WORKING!” taken off the top of the machine. By the time it was removed, there was mold on it.
Before the copier, we used the mimeograph machine (often abbreviated to mimeo) and it was a low-cost duplicating machine that worked by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. I loved that smell of that ink running through the machine. Not for long lengths of time, though. I heard one could get high from the smell by the overuse of the machine. I used to jokingly say, “I wonder if I smell more of this purple ink while running off these tests if their grades will improve?”
Did I mention bathroom duty? My pre-21st century schools had us rotate bathroom duty assignments. I could never, EVER eat my lunch in the girls’ bathroom during duty time like one teacher I know who did. She scooted a desk in there and plopped her cafeteria tray on top of it and dug in.
Also, one of my teacher girlfriends left public school teaching and was hired at Westminster private school in Atlanta. She and I kept up and she would report to me that she did still have high school bus and bathroom duty but that it wasn’t for the obvious reasons of keeping order: it was because they didn’t want any of their students kidnapped from that hoity-toity priced school. Those were the kids with the million-dollar last names.
There was at least one kind of testing that was done in schools that didn’t include grades. It was called an aptitude test. At the end of the middle school years and before attending high school, the counselors wanted to know what track a student might favor because of their aptitude…think college is in your future? Technical training? This would be helpful to know so the guidance office could help guide the student into the right classes to be successful.
My oldest took his aptitude test near the end of 8th grade. When the results came in it mentioned that he was good with his hands. I am going to leave that description alone except to say that he is in a career now doing just that…Information Technology. But this test gave him different choices to think about. It encouraged him to consider being a butcher or an air-conditioner repairman.
However, the real clincher was what the girl sitting next to him in class received on her test results. What possibly could have been the ANSWERS on her test to recommend these two jobs: either a clown or a mime?
And here at the mid-point of the second semester, testing is not uncommon. No one looks forward to tests – students (because they have to take them) or teachers (because they have to grade them). Being an English teacher is not easy when it comes to grading. Essays, remember? I used to jokingly say, “I wonder if the more wine I drink while grading these essays if their grades will improve?”
Another hardship on an English teacher during the year and especially at mid-term testing was the copying machine that would break down at the most inopportune time. And it just didn’t break down for an hour. Sometimes it was days. Somebody had to call the company to send someone out to fix it. And by fix it, I mean that took all day, too. One couldn’t wait to see the taped sign that said, “NOT WORKING!” taken off the top of the machine. By the time it was removed, there was mold on it.
Before the copier, we used the mimeograph machine (often abbreviated to mimeo) and it was a low-cost duplicating machine that worked by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. I loved that smell of that ink running through the machine. Not for long lengths of time, though. I heard one could get high from the smell by the overuse of the machine. I used to jokingly say, “I wonder if I smell more of this purple ink while running off these tests if their grades will improve?”
Did I mention bathroom duty? My pre-21st century schools had us rotate bathroom duty assignments. I could never, EVER eat my lunch in the girls’ bathroom during duty time like one teacher I know who did. She scooted a desk in there and plopped her cafeteria tray on top of it and dug in.
Also, one of my teacher girlfriends left public school teaching and was hired at Westminster private school in Atlanta. She and I kept up and she would report to me that she did still have high school bus and bathroom duty but that it wasn’t for the obvious reasons of keeping order: it was because they didn’t want any of their students kidnapped from that hoity-toity priced school. Those were the kids with the million-dollar last names.
There was at least one kind of testing that was done in schools that didn’t include grades. It was called an aptitude test. At the end of the middle school years and before attending high school, the counselors wanted to know what track a student might favor because of their aptitude…think college is in your future? Technical training? This would be helpful to know so the guidance office could help guide the student into the right classes to be successful.
My oldest took his aptitude test near the end of 8th grade. When the results came in it mentioned that he was good with his hands. I am going to leave that description alone except to say that he is in a career now doing just that…Information Technology. But this test gave him different choices to think about. It encouraged him to consider being a butcher or an air-conditioner repairman.
However, the real clincher was what the girl sitting next to him in class received on her test results. What possibly could have been the ANSWERS on her test to recommend these two jobs: either a clown or a mime?
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