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Please forgive me @NYSEDNews @usedgov, I know administrators are supposed to be quiet and toe the line, but I have to speak my mind on what happened in our schools today. A 
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Today I proctored a state standardized test to nine 3rd graders who have never taken a state test; who have not set foot in their schools in over one year; and who were masked and confined to their seats, 6 feet apart, for more than two hours. 2/n
Some of them had no idea what to do with a standardized test and so they sat and stared ahead, too afraid to say anything until I asked what was wrong. 3/n
Some of them did not know how to bubble in their answers because they did not know what a bubble sheet is. 4/n
Some of them wrote their names in pen ON THEIR ANSWER SHEETS when my back was turned for a second. Why? Because they were so proud and excited to be taking this Big Meaningful Test for the first time. But now we are worried we may not be able to scan their answer sheet. 5/n
Some of them raced through the test and refused to check their answers. Some of them took their time, checked and re-checked their answers. Some of them finished in 10 minutes. Others in 80 minutes. The 10 minute finisher still had to wait for the 80 minute finisher. 6/n
So they got antsy. Some went to the bathroom four times. Others kept jumping out of their seats. Some sang under their breath. Others asked if they could draw. I said no. I told them to be quiet and sit still, lest their peers get distracted. 7/n
Many of our kids are learning English. They are bright, smart, amazing kids who are so lucky to be bilingual! But they didn’t know what a “phrase” was. They hadn’t yet mastered “main idea.” They had never heard the word “excerpt.” They asked me for help. I couldn’t give it. 8/n
Today I did absolutely everything I do not believe is right about teaching and learning so that some third graders could take a test that someone somewhere might use to determine how well or awful our public school is doing and decide what the consequences will be. Shape up. 9/n
Today I felt what it would be like to have my evaluation riding on this test. What might I be feeling towards my students? What might they be feeling toward me? Teaching is not effective without a meaningful relationship. 10/n
@NYSEDNews says the scores don’t matter this year, but do we believe that? Anyway, they sure have mattered in the past. And anyway, we had to give a standardized test during a pandemic. Isn’t that just insane? 11/n
Today was not why I went into education. [And by the way, it wasn’t just today. It was days and weeks of planning, organizing, and taxpayer dollars spent.] 12/n
Oh, and halfway through the test, 2 pigeons flew in the room and the kids cracked up. They are 8 years old after all. 13/13
