Assessment is BORING

Our school conducts several building cross grade level writing assessments. We conduct these assessments just like our statewide test in April which means that the children have one whole school day to plan, draft, revise, edit, and write a final draft. This is one of the longest most tedious days of the year. As a school we put ourselves through this process four times a year. That's in addition to the two writing, two reading, and three math assessment days scheduled by the state.

Unlike the tests I took in school these assessments are not timed. The children have all day if they need it. Most children finish the math and reading portions of the state test before lunch, but there are always a few stragglers who need more time. Part of our test security measures requires that students who are not finished before lunch not eat with their peers or go to lunch recess. They have to eat in the classroom where we can be sure that they don't talk about the test. Then they have to go right back to work. The two days of writing are when we have the largest groups of children not finished before lunch. I'm so glad that we're not that strict during these building wide assessment days.

Most days I love my job! The time flies by with the kids and it's 3:40 before I know it. But on these marathon assessment days time drags by. I'm posting this now while I monitor my kids while they write. They started at 10:15 and worked till lunch at noon. They came in from lunch recess at 12:45 and will continue to write till they're done. Right now I only have two kids who are finished. Twenty more to go.