As you all know, we are now wrapping up our yearly FCAT week. For 9th and 10th graders this week is important. This is the week that could take a huge burden off their shoulders, or create an even larger one to bear for one more year. But, for 11th and 12th graders, this has become a week of relaxation.
This is where my rant is going to begin...
I would love to teach during these days. In fact, as I sit here writing this, with one more day of FCAT to go, I find that I am craving to be up in front of the classroom teaching. Yes, I have completed much of my grading and worked on my plans for next quarter, but I could have done all of this at home. When I come to work, I want to teach. But sadly, it seems, no one else wants to teach during these days (well, there are some that do) so older students don't show up. As a result, those teachers that want to teach fight a losing battle full of make-up work, angry students, and sometimes, angry parents (yes, parents do get angry at us for actually teaching).
During one of President Obama's recent speeches on education he mentioned that one of the ways to increase educational standards is to lengthen the school year or the school day. I agree. But, what no one ever talks about is the eradication of all of this standardized testing - which in turn takes time away from real education. There are many ways to assess students. Let's settle of something that does not take away real class time.
35 comments:
I am very surprised that parents actually got mad at you for teaching on these days. This type of thing only happens ins Wes-tohn. I do believe that preparing for fcats all year long deprives kids from learning several other important things that teachers might have had in mind. In the past, I have had to interrupt a lesson in classes like world history for fcat preparation. Some might say it's more important than learning history, but who is to decide that, really. I have also heard the the fcat is here to prepare us for the future, but tell me this. In pretty much any job, when does anybody need to understand the author's purpose in something that needs to be read. I think there should be a standardized test, just not one that requires teachers to focus on throughout the first three quarters of the school year. Maybe a test that shows how students are doing, relates more to what teachers intend to teach but can't due to fcats, and are not the definition of whether a student has a future or not.
Yes, older students definitely don't come. If you look in the parking lot half of the student cars aren't there. I love those days because i don't have to go to school but i'm sure teachers don't like it very much.
I hate the FCAT. The science that e took today was so dumb. I do love having days off from school and all, but this week was COMPLETELY pointless. The FCATs are pointless. You're right, we could be using our time a lot wiser and teach something that really matters. But everyone just goes to the beach and sleeps in and leaves early. I did miss school yesterday to just sit and watch movies with my friends, but that is only because in every class, we were just sitting. If we were to actually DO something, I would show up to school. Education is going downhill and everyone knows it. We never do anything to change it though.
I agree with you Mrs. Stoklosa, FCAT is totally unnecessary. Actually standardized tests in schools as a whole. When I lived in Michigan we had the MEAP[I can't rememeber what it stood for] and some of my friends and I would always get done early, but we couldn't advance to the next lesson because we had to wait for everyone else. So inevitably the entire class was behind in learning because of this stupid test. It's exactly the same with the FCAT, my entire class was done after 35 minutes and we had to wait until the alloted 75 minutes were up. All that time could be spent learning something that I will actually use in the future.
ughhh fcat is just so stressful, and i can't standddd it!!! can it just all go away?seriously? we should focus more on SAT and ACT's.
Man, these F.C.A.T. days are so boring! Sit in a class for 3-4 hours while the people that need to take the test do their thing. Today I took the Science FCAT, BIGGEST waste of time. You could have skipped science class every day and probably got a good score on it.Also they gave SO MUCH excess time, 75 minutes for 28 questions. Thats just part one, then you have to do it all over again for part two. Anyways, I'm so glad its over for now. We can get on to our normal days which, I miss so much right now.
I hate the Fcat. I think that it's a waste of time and it's pointless. The preparing for this standardized test can take up a lot of teaching time. Last year my World History class and Math class both got interrupted about 6 times just to "prepare" for this test. They taught us useless strategies and I would have rather been learning something important. The Fcat is really easy in my opinion and I don't think that we need to waste so much time on it.
The idea of standardized testing seems like a good idea, but to actually go through it and see the effects isn't. We do need to have something to base our schools on to see if we're doing good and the teachers are doing their job, but maybe the FCAT isn't the answer. It did become pointless for me to come to school. I went on Tuesday for half a day which I think was a mistake, but I did it for football. Every class had less than 10 people. The school was empty. If it wasn't for practice or the science FCAT I would not be there either. Since some classes wouldn't get to see you it wouldn't be fair for everyone. Just something we have to deal with I guess. Hopefully we come up with something more logical and reasonable.
Well I would first like to point out that he science FCAT sucked. But like you told us, it was our last one and we never have to take another FCAT again =]. Even though I enjoyed the mini vacation I do agree it takes away too much class time. I was forced by my mother to attend school on Wednesday where i did nothing except watch movies and eat popcorn, oh and enjoyed a little Oprah in my legal systems class. I know it's important to go to school but i find it completely pointless being there and not doing anything. There’s so many other more productive things I could've done during that time.
This has been a relaxing week for some but for me it’s been quite hectic. For some reason my teachers don’t get that its FCAT week and that im just suppose to go to the beach everyday, which was fun, but I did have a lot of homework. Every teacher gave a lot of homework that I had to work on this week. But I did finish, but it did take me a very long time. Plus I have my SATs on Saturday which just creates more stress and I just want to get that over with. So it hasn’t been a very relaxing week at all except for Tuesday afternoon.
It’s pretty good that you actually want to teach, and it makes me happy to know that I have a teacher that cares =]. I totally agree with you when it comes to parents whining on FCAT days. Even though it is FCAT there is still school, so if teachers decide to teach on those days just to give us a hard time, students should just suck it up. I also agree that we should take away FCATs, they take up time from our school year and they're easy tests which I can finish in the first 15 minutes and get a 5 on them.
I had fun while I was home on Tuesday and Wednesday, but we also have gone through the FCAT and those two days have become a tradition to not go to school for the Juniors and Seniors. Also I do agree with you that all this standardized testing does take away from our actual learning and a week wasted.
Personally I don't see the Fcats as negatively as most people see them. While there is no denying that they are a huge waste of time, I believe it is necessary to have a standard by which to measure a schools success. The biggest problem with the Fcats though is it does in fact take quite some time away from teaching. Especially at this time of year this class time is essential to students especially those taking AP classes. I think a good compromise is to do what we did in your class. Work really hard one day and they have the next day off. In this case both parties are happy and the Fcat still gets done.
In all honesty, I see do not see the point of FCATs. Yes, it's used to give the school it's precious "A" and yes it goes on your college transcript but is the FCAT really a good measure of a student's intelligence? I think not. We waste, yes waste, so much time on preparing for the FCAT that we take away valuable time from the actual curriculum of the class. Instead of doing weekly spirals or quizzes or mini-lessons in order to prepare us for the FCAT, we could be actually learning *gasp*. Oh and god forbid that teachers want to teach. I mean...isn't that your job whether there's a full schedule during the day or not? I had work to do in Calculus the entire week so I came to school. It really bothered me that when I arrived, half of my junior class was gone.
It wasn't exactly a week of relaxation for me. Although I didn't do much of anything in two of my classes, in my 1st hour we did work. I did everything, from group work, to book work. I also had to do a quiz and we took 2 chapters worth of notes. Not to mention homework. The worst part was staying in that class for 4-5 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, and on top of that I had to stay there for FCAT testing on Thursday. So it has been a busy week for me.
Unfortunately for teachers, these standardized tests are not going away any time soon. It is also unfortunate for students who need this week to try and boost their grades. And, I do not find Obama's plan to lengthen the school day very appealing at all. As an athlete, during season, the school day is long enough already. With more hours, it makes the day much more vigorous for us student athletes. Maybe if teachers offered extra credit to report on FCAT days, it would change the priorities of the upperclassmen who no longer are obligated to take such tests.
I understand you totally want to teach but we go to the Bay in WesTon remember. This week has turned into a reward for the upperclassmen hard work during the FCAT days. All the cool kids skip school on these days DUH! I think trying to teach this week is an uphill battle for you, the last thing you should do is hold this week against us though. We work hard all year so a beach week inst
the worst thing in the world.
But it is weird how some of my teachers were upset that kids showed up to class. I overheard a teacher yelling that she had to stay at school with two kids in class, she was legitimately upset. But thats how this school runs so what can you do???
That’s funny how parents get mad at teachers for actually doing there job. The never of some people. Although I liked chilling in class the first day then it just got boring. So I'm glad that we did our extra credit discussion in class.
I cant belive that parents actually got mad at you for teaching on these days also.That kind of redickulas but to tell you th truth i do agree that we can test but two test when we come back is kind of a but breacker but you got to do what you got to do but other then that i do think that teaching is ok but testing kids on fcat is hard....
I don't think students in high school should have to spend their precious time on FCAT. Maybe instead of having days and class time set aside for FCAT testing, students should get time to focus on the SAT and the ACT, two tests that impact our futures a great deal more than the FCAT.
I totally agree Ms. Stocklosa! FCATs are Bull! And even though I didn't mind the little break I still think that waisting all that time and energy for no reason is idiotic. But about the whole Obama thing I don't really want longer days or school years for a few different reasons. One of them being that as a student athlete that doesn't get hom untill 7 during fotball season I would be getting home even later if the days were extended.
Well, the science Fcat was a joke and a complete waste of time. Here's an idea, instead of them wasting all that money giving us theses pointless tests, why not give us actual courses to prepare us for the Sat's or even the Act's science portion.And I agree with you about how in any job, they're not gonna be asking you what you think the author's purpose was in the text.
I understand where your coming from, but it’s really not that long of a break to make too much of an impact. When Obama made his speech he wasn’t talking about a missing week of school, he was more directed to the idea of a long term approach. We, as student, have a job to learn just like you have a job to teach, but a quick brake couldn’t really hurt us that bad. To be honest I may now be behind in a few of my classes, but it’s not anything to major that I’m going to start to fail. And I know that a lot of adults don’t ever think to consider the amount of stress the average teenage goes through in their daily lives. I know this sound like whining, but it’s just a fact. Most students not only have the required work for school, but the homework and the studying when they go home. And if they are anything like me, they will have an extracurricular activity that they are dedicated to, SAT class, and volunteering. So maybe a day at the beach wouldn’t be such a bad idea for this busy bee to relax and enjoy the fact that they live in Florida, and here everyday is a beach day.
It is upsetting that parents got mad you were teaching on these days. We wouldn't have done anything this week if you hadn't taught us. It was only one day of teaching anyways, and since we, 11th graders, aren't taking the FCAT math or reading, then it would just be a regular school day.
I think FCATs are a waste. A waste of time and money. There is no need in taking these tests if our budget is low. It's just another waste of paper, snacks and overall money.
I didn't know that parents would get mad at that but i like that we dont do that much during FCAT week.
FCAT week is a horrible week. Both students and teachers accomplish absolutely nothing. Students are either taking the FCAT or hitting up the beach with friends, while teachers are either FCAT proctors or trying to keep track of the few student they do have. I agree with you completely when you say that there are other ways to assess students. Something needs to be done about standardized testing, since all it really does is takes away real class time.
I don't think school days should be longer and I think that if they change the schedule to 7 periods a day they are not going to be happy with results. I mean we are already on block scheduling with 4 periods a day and we are all ready to crash when we get home and we can't even do that because in those 4 classes we get alot of homework we need to bring home. By the middle of the year no one cares so if we get longer school days students energy will diminish even faster.
I am shocked parents got mad at you for teaching on FCAT days. Sure it’s mainly the 9th and 10th graders taking these tests and 11th graders the last day but, school is still in session people. I know that I didn’t come to school on Wednesday but I was actually sick and went to urgent care, I have the doctor’s note. I didn’t just not show up because I didn’t feel like it. Like what most upperclassmen do.
I gotta agree with the extending of the school year specially in Florida, and I love the idea of getting rid of standarized testing and instead take other measures to grade a school. Well worst of all I can't believe that parents actually got mad at teachers for teaching, these are the kind of parents that when the word education comes around they talk about improvement but God forbid that they are teaching their kids during the FCAT *gasp*, some parents just have wayyyyyy too much nerve.
Yeah that seems a bit wierd that parents would get angry at you for actually teaching.
It's like us getting mad at football players for playing football. What do people expect them to do? Their job is to play football.
And i believe it's moronic to increase the school day. Not because i'm lazy, or because i don't particularly enjoy being in school. But because that's not the way we're gunna improve our nation's educational deficiencies. When you put more gas in the car, does it go faster? NO! Now if you increase the octane level. Then yes, the car will run faster.
Which means we should increase teacher salaries, so there's more competition for teaching professions, which would ultimately weed out the inept candidates.
I’m glad its over I’m sick of staying home and cleaning with my mother and spending time with her it’s awkward sometimes I don’t know why. But it does. You teaching on these days are pretty cool because just because there is testing the curriculum should not stop it should keep going and you sound stop teaching either. I don’t know why that happens.
The FCAT is one of the most controversial topics in my opinion. Sometimes I truly dislike it (not because I have to take it), and sometimes I believe it is for the better of the students. I guess every situation is different, because it benefits some students, and harms others. No doubt in my mind that wether or not the FCAT is taking action teachers should be able to teach if they choose to. I think its insane that people get pissed off when teachers are not doing their job, but when they go out of their way to do their job, they get degraded and insulted.
I am actually very frustrated today. During my fantastic voyage through the science FCAT, I found myself arguing with a small Asian woman over the direction I faced in my desk. You know me, do I really need to cheat on the science FCAT? I feel worse for the teachers though. This proctor was so rude to my testing center teacher.
I don't know how I feel about the FCAT. Is it fair for me to cast my opinion on such an annoying test when I find it, well, annoying? It would be a biased opinion and I would never suggest that anyone follow it but nonetheless I shall cast upon this blog comment my opinions on the horrid test that so many Floridian students and teachers dread. Does it help, at all?! I mean, it's nothing like the SAT or the ACT and it casts us in the wrong direction when it comes to writing. We end up writing like robots for years because we have the FCAT way of writing stuffed down our throats. Then in the end we're in 10th or 11th grade and English teachers are having hard times reading all the essays they assigned because they are all so similar and emotionless!* (Is that a real word?) Now being a Senior* (kind of) I could care less now because it means free days for me, which helps me catch up on my reading. But still it bothers me that so many students have to suffer. Anyways, my sister announced merrily that they are voting to take away the FCAT. Then again my sister also thinks that 4 day schools are better than 5 day schools so I probably shouldn't listen to most of the things she says. My point is I have never liked the FCAT, I have never liked the teachers that just teach to help us do good on the FCAT instead of just for our education, and I have never liked the manipulative counselors that tell you the test helps you when truly they just want the funding that comes with it.
I think it's great that you like to teach so much that a break that's basically given to you is something you don't just accept. But although you love to teach, many kids don't like to learn and all kids certainly don't like to sit in a classroom where it's freezing and the desks are uncomfortable and the time crawls by. And after thats over, we have three more of those to go! And after that, we have 4 more days of that to go! Trust me, it's nice to have a break after all of the years we had to sit and take the trecherous FCAT. Teachers have a completely different take on it because they aren't the ones who actually have to take it. Yes a lot of them find it to be horrible also, but imagine if you were the one whose future it really decided. I'm gifted and I'm not a common thinker, I am not a standarized thinker and these tests are not for me. They should most certainly be elimiated from our school year because up until March, most of our cirriculum is based around this pointless test.
Whoa whoa wait a second. Make the school year or school day longer? Yes it would make it easier to get more things done you are right. But the kids are already wired for this setup. Change it and they will freak out. We all already get antsy towards the end of the year. Imagine how unmotivated all students would be in that extra month of class. It would be a win-loose situation.
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