A Letter To The Oklahoma House of Representatives...

I am a third grade teacher at a Title-1 School and the parent of a third grader.  I ask that you take time to think about how families and students in our state will be best represented.  Is taking a parent’s voice away, silencing a teacher, or treating a third grader like a test score the best way to represent and serve them?

I’m not sure what the house is thinking, but this testing stuff is madness! I know people like to think that teachers aren’t doing their jobs..and if we were we wouldn’t be afraid of how our students would score on the test.  Let me tell you a little bit about my students.  I have more than one student who has been diagnosed with ADHD (and it’s the real deal, not a made up excuse for bad behavior), another student who was diagnosed with autism just this year, a boy who is very smart but spends most of his time worrying if his mother is going to be in or out of jail, a girl who lives with her aunt because her mom just got out of jail and hasn’t been able to find a job, at least 2 students who speak fluent Spanish and while their English is good they have limited understanding of certain vocabulary.  I could go on, but you get the picture.  Imagine yourself in their shoes…is it possible that you might have a bad day, a day when you just can’t focus…is it possible that maybe some of these kids just aren’t test takers? Do we really need to base their future on one test? Yes, there are exemptions but those exemptions don’t always apply. Currently a student on an IEP can be retained if they score unsatisfactory, but at least under the current law there are certain exemptions that apply; such as benchmarking on DIBELS Testing, or a team/committee decision…under SB 630 the committee will go away and to my knowledge the second form of testing might go away as well.  These kids deserve better, they are individuals with individual needs.

In the days leading up to the test I asked my students to write about how they were feeling about the test and also asked them to tell me about anything that might keep them from doing their best on the test.  Some of my students felt confident and prepared, but many were fearful of failing, one student wrote that they would kill themselves if they didn’t pass (I spoke with the student before and after the test and they are feeling better about things, but the fact that a 3^rd grader would have these thought even for a minute is unacceptable).  One boy wrote “I can’t concentrate because my parents are getting a divorce”, another student was worried about his brother who was in the hospital because of a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.  I could go on, but thinking about those letters makes me sick. 

I’m not sure that legislators understand what they are doing to education.  These laws are causing many to view students as test scores, this makes me physically ill, but I see how it happens.  Schools are judged on test performance, and many teachers and administrators don’t want to be associated with low performing students or schools.  Most people would agree that “teaching to the test” is not appropriate, but making everything hinge on one test is in direct conflict with that belief.  

The test is a waste!! I don’t know how to explain to you the amount of time that is wasted preparing for and taking the state test.  As soon as students start 3^rd grade (at Title 1 schools) we begin targeting students who will need extra help to pass the test.  After Christmas we begin hard core test prep and the closer the test comes it intensifies. We spend 2 mornings a week, for 2 weeks testing…and that’s just 3^rd grade.  If you take into account all testing grades and the time it takes to test students on IEP’s and makeup tests…my school has been testing for a month.  When one grade is testing it affects the schedule of the entire school, students are required to eat lunch in silence so that none of the testing grades are disturbed…It’s insane!

I’m sure you’re aware that there is a teacher shortage and yes part of it is the fact that teachers don’t get paid enough (but I won’t even go there); there are teachers leaving  the profession because they can’t stomach what has happened to public education.  If you look at the elementary job postings the majority are for testing grades.  Teachers aren’t lazy, they want to teach kids, they want to do what’s right for kids, and they know that all of this testing is WRONG!!  There are teachers who are afraid to teach 3^rd grade at a Title-1 School, because they’re afraid of how low test scores will reflect on them as a teacher.  If we want the best teachers to teach at Title-1 Schools, we have to stop penalizing them and their students!!!

For the record, I care about my students way more than I care about their test score.  Their test score matters to me, because I know it will affect them…and the way things are going with SB 630 it will affect them even more next year.  Mess with me if you must…but don’t mess with kids!! I am currently debating whether I can continue teaching 3^rd grade, not because I don’t love 3^rd graders, but because I don’t believe in what I have to do because of the test. 

It is with great conviction that I ask you to give parents, teachers, and administrators a voice. Say no to SB 630.

Jennifer Seitsinger

3^rd Grade Teacher 

Learning On The Horizon

This week my students will take the last portion of the state test, we will take math on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I'm ready for all of this to be done and behind us.  My students are ready as well.  A few weeks ago one of my students came to me with her Oklahoma History book and said..."Mrs. Seitsinger did you forget we had this book".  How sad!!  My students are curious and crave knowledge and understanding of the world around them, but all I've been able to give them for the past month is Test Prep.  

Sadly my students don't spend much time learning science, social studies, or history in third grade. I'm at a low socioeconomic school and yes we are a low performing school as well.  Last year we brought our scores up...but I often wonder if the sacrifice is too great.  When my students come to me many are bellow grade level or struggling to stay afloat in third grade.  The first half of the year is spent catching them up so that they will be prepared for test prep...yes you heard right...we have to prepare for test prep.  Don't get me wrong real teaching is going on...my students are active learners creating interactive notebooks, posters to present, writing stories...as long as the majority of what we do can tie back to the test we're okay. I do my best to squeeze in a little science and social studies, but it's difficult to make it truly meaningful when our main focus is on reading skills.  The first part of our afternoon is filled with math, and you guessed it, many of my students are behind in math as well.  My memories of third grade are filled with timed multiplication tests and practice, even my son who attends a more affluent school in the district has earned a banana spit party by memorizing all of his multiplication facts, but that's not third grade at my school.  Most of my students haven't mastered their basic addition facts, and many lack a true understating of number.  I start with the basics with the hopes that I can guide the students to a better understanding of math in time for math test prep and the test.

You may be thinking this is a disgrace. Teachers aren't supposed to teach to the test.  If so I absolutely wholeheartedly agree!!  I hate teaching to the test, I hate that the test dictates how I run my class...but that is the harsh reality of high stakes testing.  I do a pretty good job of keeping things stimulating and engaging for the first half of the year, but after Christmas...Test Mania begins. It starts a little at at time, and by mid February we are in full on Test Prep Mode.  It's hard to make test prep fun...I try by allowing students to work in groups or having them create Anchor Charts for specific topics...but even those activities grow tiresome after awhile.  

But alas, Real Learning Is On The Horizon!!  With the test behind us we will be able to break out the science books, we'll be able to read from our Oklahoma History books, and start a novel study.  We'll read Little House on the prairie, and make corn bread.  We'll go back to practicing hands on math, so that my students will have a better understanding of math and number.  We'll explore our world through learning!!  I find it sad that so much time is wasted on one test when meaningful learning could be taking place...but I will put those feeling behind me and push on to the glorious days ahead...of exploring and learning alongside my students!  No worksheets no test prep packets...just real hands on exploration and learning.

As I approach the horizon of real learning I must not be silent.  I know I must speak up for my students...we all need to speak up for positive change in education.  

Research Around the Room (Using Resource/Reference Materials)

There is nothing quite so meaningful as hands on learning experience, and there are few things more valuable than learning to cooperate and learn as a group.  I offer hands on and group learning on a daily basis, but Friday is usually set aside as a day of  Rotations /Centers a full day of hands on interactive learning.

Who would have imagined that students would be so excited to learn about and practice using resource/reference materials? 

The following rotations were provided, and students recorded information from each rotation in their center journal. My instructions weren't anything too fancy.  I simply wrote tasks out and taped them to tables around the room.  Students enjoyed getting up and moving around at their own pace.

Dictionary (Guide Word Practice)

Encyclopedia

Table of Contents

(I must not have photoed of this one, but students were asked to identify where certain Chapters would be found and what chapters were about)

Index

Students were also instructed to choose one topic and write a fact about it.

Almanac

Students were given 2 topics and were instructed to find each in the encyclopedia and write 2 facts about each topic.

Atlas

This was a student Atlas and included more information than some more traditional Atlases.  Students were instructed to find information about specific states. 

Thesaurus

Computer/Internet 

(Students use a teacher made search engine.  Follow this link to learn how...How to Create A Custom Google Search Engine) 

I love hands on experience and am always excited to hear how other teachers keep their students actively engaged in learning! How do keep students actively engaged with hands on learning?

Oh the Thinks You Can Think...a cause and effect lesson inspired by Dr. Seuss

Shared Reading and Intro To Cause and Effect Lesson

My students have become quite good at identifying cause and effect, but I wanted to kick things up a notch and have them write their own cause and effect sentences. To get things started we read Oh the Thinks You Can Think! (by Dr. Seuss) .  We talked about the creative, unique characters, and settings that Dr. Seuss creates in his writing, and went on to think about cause and effect as it relates to Oh the Thinks You can Think!. I wrote sentences from the story on the board and as a class we thought of  causes to go with the sentences:

Example 1
book quote:  "And think about BEFT. Why is it that beft always go to the left?"
student generated cause and effect:  Beft go to the left because they are scared of the monster on the right.

Example 2
book quote: "And what would you do if you met a JIBOO?"
student generated cause and effect: If I met a JIBOO I would ask him to play soccer because he is nice.

Creating Original Cause and Effect Sentences and Independent Practice
After this activity we made silly cause and effect sentences as a group, and then students were asked to create 5, Dr Seuss inspired, cause and effect sentences and write them in their journals.  Once this was done students chose one sentence to write and illustrate.  Illustrations were done in a comic strip format.  the first box showing the cause and the second showing the effect.

Students enjoyed this activity once they got started, but it was challenging for some of them to write their own cause and effect at first.  It's one thing to identify cause and effect when reading, but higher level thinking skills are required when you are writing your own!

It's always fun to see what "Thinks" my students can "Think"!!

Start The Day With Something Positive!!

School is in full swing and life is busy...this will be a quick post!

I try to include a positive or motivational book or video into my classroom routine each day.  The following links lead to great videos...

Kid President

Kid President on You Tube

Values.com inspirational videos 

Life Vest Inside...Kindness Boomerang

7 Habits of Highly Effective Kids (great music video...I use this every day!!)

Book A Day Challenge...Book #9

Book of The Day...
Fandango Stew, this book is an "Old West" spin on Stone Soup...and I am so excited to use it in class. Stone Soup is one of our stories in Treasures...last year we read different versions of the Stone Soup and compared and contrasted, wrote "the rest of the story"...but Fandango Stew has the potential to lead us to even more!! Our story in treasures is set in China, Fandango Stew in the Old West...this will give us a wonderful opportunity to tie in social studies. I'm also exited about the opportunity to tie math and story problems into the making of our very own stew.
This is going to be a great read aloud...can't wait to pull out my "cowboy" voice for this fun story!!

Happy Reading...Jennifer

Book A Day Challenge...Book #8

Today's book...Hey You C'mere a Poetry Slam (by Elizabeth Swados)



What a great collection of poetry that kids can relate to! Poems in this collection cover everything from emotions, to silly names. I think my favorite poem may be the intro...where we are told that poems are everywhere skateboards, shoes, sky...

I'm hoping to carve out a little time for "a poem a day", I'm happy to have added Hey You C'mere to my collection!

This book will be used to introduce my class to poetry and invite them to think about the world around them...the things they see poetry in. Students will then create a poem and art project to go with it. I would love to incorporate digital word art into this project!!

Read a poem today!
Jennifer