This was a long week at school. Students came through the doors each morning, ready to take the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. We took less of the test than we have in previous years, but the pressure was more intense than ever. There is an unbelievable amount of pressure on kids to do well on these tests, and even more pressure on teachers to have their students do well. According to NCLB, If my students do not do well on the tests, it means I haven't done my job. These tests determine whether our school will be classified as failing or successful. So far Phillips is one of the few schools on the east side, that has managed to stay off of that failing list. I miss the days when this test was just a test.
On Monday, these doors will begin opening ten minutes earlier, and students will be dismissed through them ten minutes later in the day. We are adding twenty minutes to the day to make up for three of the snow days we had during the winter. We are actually making up 30 minutes each day. We are supposed to find an additional ten minutes during the day. During the day? What a joke! It's not like we spent ten minutes with our feet up on our desks taking a break. We are fully engaged every minute of our school day. The extra twenty minutes a day will help me get some things done that I have had difficulty fitting in. I am looking forward to spending more time on Social Studies and Health. I think we will adjust quickly to these additional minutes.
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