No Pressure, but...

In two weeks our students will take the state tests in math and language arts. The time crunch is on. I can feel the pressure.  I have two weeks to review what we've learned so far, and jam in a few more concepts before the end is near.

Every year, for the last nine years of teaching regular fourth grade (before that was 17 years of teaching special Ed) my favorite time of year to teach has been right after testing.  This is when I pull out all the stops to have some exciting, memorable projects.  I have thought, too bad I can't start these projects in September.  Consequently, I have started them earlier and earlier each year. 

What I want for students, besides a successful mastery of state standards in academics, is a memorable experience in fourth grade. Some of what I want for them, cannot be measured on a test.  I want them to feel good.  I want them to gain confidence.  I want them to grow socially.  None of this can really be measure on a test.  

With the upcoming change in the way we assess students through the Common Core State Standards, I'm not as nervous as I should be with the change.  I'm seeing, by examples given in teacher training sessions, that all of the projects I've been utilizing, match very well with that kind of assessment.  

In the upcoming blog posts, I'm going to write about the projects I refer to above.  With the addition of technology into the classroom, students really are experiencing rich, memorable, life-long lessons. How lucky for me to be right smack in the middle of that!