I know I am going back a few days by posting on this reading from last week, but I feel like this essay expressed my opinions well. When I think about my future career I wonder if I really want to put myself under the stress that comes with teaching; teaching to the standardized tests, knowing I could lose my job if I cannot force students to know the "right" answer, etc. These are influenced my the fact that legislation equates good teaching with higher test scores. What they do not realize is that teaching someone HOW to take a test is FAR DIFFERENT that teaching knowledge and how to think for one's self.
One of my favorite lines in this essay is "The idealistic intentions that usually bring people into education --- a desire to make some contribution to a better world, to improve the lives of kids, to offer a caring environment for children and so on --- becomes perverted by the limited persuit of higher test scores and the crass exploitation of a few extra dollars for achieving "better" results." (31) I hope I can still have these idealistic intentions otherwise schools should just use programed ROBOTS, because they would all teach exactly the same.
____________________

Audrey Fowler

I know exactly how you feel Audrey. I am a little apprehensive about "teaching to the test." The idea that my job will be to teach students to take tests and achieve high test scores is somewhat disappointing to me. I hope that my position as a teacher does not become reduced to that point, or like you said, the school system could replace all teachers with robots. I too hope that I am able to keep my idealistic aspirations once I become a teacher. I know that I haven't said anything new, but I do share the same opinion as you. I really believe that you are passionate enough about math and your future position as a teacher that you will refuse to be reduced to a "programmed robot." You will take advantage of every opportunity to teach more than just "the test."

Audrey,

I agree that one of the biggest challenges for teachers today is the pressure that comes with "teaching the test." It's sad that legislators all over the country....on both sides of the table...equate high test scores with being effective teachers. Most of these legislators think themselves to be the authority on education, but they have no experience in the classroom other than what they had as students. They have no experience with curriculum, development of students, and teaching, yet they have control over the content of a classroom. I think that there are certain things that each child needs to learn, but I don't think someone who has never been in a classroom as a teacher should be the person to set that curriculum.

How can we expect our students to apply the knowledge they learn in life if the only way we teach it is to be answered on a MC exam?

I ask myself why I wanted to ever be a teacher when the subject of standardized tests comes up. I think what we should do as teachers is remember what we wanted to accomplish. Who we wanted to affect and what drives us to want to teach children. I'm sure we all have different ideas of what a good teacher is and why we wanted to be that teacher and I think we should try to stay grounded and remember what our real intentions are.

I think everyone has asked themselves why they wanted to become a teacher and I have started to ask myself more and more lately. We are entering into a career where we hardly get paid and we have to put up with crazy parents that think they can do better jobs than we can. What to remember is that we are going to be making a difference. We are going to be helping our students better themselves and to go out in the real world and survive. We are going to have such an impact on their life that 30 years after they left your class they will still know who you are. I see it all the time with my parents because their former student, who have kids and grandchildren of their own, will come up to them and let my parents know what they meant to them. That is why we should want to teach because our job will have meaning and purpose.

Thats very true Zach, but its hard to keep your mind focused on that when all this stuff is flying around you. But I understand totally what you are saying, to focus on the positives that go along with teaching instead of the negatives. As for the Standardized Tests, I think that since we have a better knowledge on how students learn and that sometimes Tests are not the answers we should work to change some of the curriculum and try to get alternatives into the testing program.

I believe that we all share the same fears when it comes to testing and the importance that our government has placed on it. However, I feel that we should not worry so much about "teaching to the test" as compared to "what we are actually teaching." Really, if we are more concerned as to building good, effective lessons and TEACH our students, they should automatically do well on tests because they actually know and understand the test material. Granted, they may not have the highest scores, they still should pass the tests. And, passing the tests, or “showing proficiency,â€

My thing with standardized tests has a lot to do with the effect on students. There are plenty of people who know and understand the information that they have learned in class. However when you put students in a stressful test taking environment where there are rows of desks separated just so and pointed straight ahead, and where the only noise is that of chairs on tile and pencils against paper can bring the nerves out of anyone. It is easy to say that if we teach well then the students will perform well, however that isn't always true. My sister always struggled with standardized tests, though her grades were always good. In middle school, to go from pre-algebra to algebra you had to have a certain grade in the class and a certain score on a standardized test that was administered to all such students. My sister's grades were up to snuff, but her test score was just below what was required. So, if the teacher had been a better teacher, would my sister have been able to go onto Algebra? Maybe, maybe not. Had there have been another deciding factor besides the test, would she have moved on to Algebra? I think so.

It's ridiculous that schools are so built on testing. Even before NCLB, I took a yearly NC EOG (end of grade) test starting in 3rd grade and continuing until 8th grade. Then of course there were the prescribed EOC (end of course) tests in high school and then the ACT and SAT scores that are required before you can get into College. As much as I despise standardized testing, is there a better, easier way to get concrete statistics of how students are performing? Probably not, however are the statistics that important and crucial to a students learning? The numbers are there to make the higher ups at the school board feel better; they're not for the students themselves. And see, I always thought schools were there to help kids learn, not to reassure the school board.

Wow!!! I just want to say that I have questioned becoming a teacher a lot lately. Most of my classes have just talked about the rules and the curriculum and standardize test and all the bad things about teaching and i havent been reminded of the great things. I have to remind myself everyday why I initially wanted to teach because with all these regulations that i am learning is a big turnoff. I am so glad other students are questioning why they are heading into this profession. I mean ultimately we are going to become teachers but there is not a day that goes by that I do not question what the heck i am doing.

I have a problem with doubting my career choice as well. I'm really afraid to question my decision of becoming a teacher because I am a Teaching Fellow here at App and if I do change my mind, then I will be put in a very sticky predicament. I decided to become a teacher my senior year of high school and I signed a contract saying that I would teach inside NC for four years. How can you decide at age 18 what you want to do for the rest of your life, and then not have the freedom to change your mind?? I'm kind of stuck in a corner now and feel that I have to teach. I have something innate in me that if I'm supposed to do something, I automatically don't want to do it; I think this is primarily what makes me question my choice. Teaching Fellows has had is positives and negatives in my experience. I like that I get a large scholarship and I like the benefits that come with the program; I however do not like that I am not encouraged to explore other career options that might fit me better than teaching. Please do not get me wrong. I think the Teaching Fellows program is a wonderful opportunity and a great program, I am not trying to attack it in any way. I'm just stating how I feel about the decisions that I have made.
I still think that I want to teach and that I would be good at it and happy with my choice. But because I have already chosen my career, I am always wondering what could have been behind door number 2.

Maria, I understand exactly what you are talking about. When I signed my name to that scholarship I thought I wanted to be a teacher. My parents and brothers are teachers, so I figured I would naturally be a good teacher. I got teaching fellows and I felt I was set, but when I got into college I realized there were so many more opportunities to explore, but I was tied down to teaching because of the money. I have gotten to the point that if I am destined to teach then I am going to teach, but if something else comes my way then I am going to take that opportunity. Remember, you have 7 years to complete 4 years of teaching which gives you a chance to extend your education or find another calling. Whatever you do, do not allow teaching fellows to hold you back.