Benchmarks, ungraded.

[learnteach]

Students are taking benchmarks today.  I don't know why we bother; the teachers have given up respecting the benchmarks (they don't sync with the teaching guides if you have them, so in most cases the tests are worthless.)   Last year I fought the battle all year, finding problems in the tests, commenting on them, etc.   This year, the person in charge of them is new and hasn't fixed any of the problems (the last guy just ran from the job.   Did great meeting (not, but thought he did) but not at all good on delivery.)

Type your cut contents here.

WHY am I wasting my time?  The students know the test doesn't count, and the ones who are having a hard time caring just bubble it in and hand it up.  This is supposed to prepare for the NCLB testing at the end of the year, but it's truly bad practice.   The students just learn again that authority doesn't have a clue, and I'm left babysitting the remainders.  

Doesn't help that I came in to do Physics, but the security guard switched classes around on me because the other sub is known to be weak and the physics classes better behaved.   Oh wonderful.


Why am I wasting my time?

Comments

[nevynn.livejournal.com]

I don't know how honest you are allowed to be with the students, but if you know the NCLB tests are crud, all you can do is remind them that the best they can do is the best they can do, and you encourage them to strive for that. Even push what they thought were their limits.
That is comming from someone who is only now getting around to his GED, and was suffering from math/geometry terms boucing around in his head, and keeping him from sleep a couple nights ago. *laughs*

allergicone is right.. Because You want to be there, for the ones who want to be there, and you know who they are.

[sbuchler.livejournal.com]

to answer your last question; paycheck.

:-S Warm fuzzies!