Yesterday I wrote about the importance of math fact fluency and today we took our first STAR math assessment. The STAR assessment is a sliding scale assessment that will challenge kids to continue to achieve higher. As they do better, the test becomes more difficult. I look forward to sharing the results with you at parent teacher conferences. I don't take the data seriously until I have at least three assessments to judge each student with. After that, the test becomes a major way for me to inform my instruction and push each student to their potential.
I continue to be amazed and impressed by your children. They were quiet and respectful as they took the test and remained that way until everyone was finished. We had an ideal test condition where everyone could focus. The test went well and from what I can tell, I have a great crew of kids to really absorb my passion for math. This test can be tough, but I prepared them for it and we came away with smiles. It pushed kids into unfamiliar territory and I tell them if it is getting hard then they are doing great! They left with smiles satisfied that they had done their best.
If you get a chance before tomorrow, tell your kids that you are proud of them. Their teacher is super proud of them as a class and I hope they are internalizing that. I don't lie to my kids. I build them up and fill them with confidence, but I would never lie to them. I am truly proud and amazed by everything that we have already done. I love all of my classes, but this class is really internalizing my expectations and working to impress me. If I do nothing else, I would love to pass on high character kids who smile, work together, never give up, respect others, and learn to value and cherish their integrity.
I thank you all for your kind words in e-mail. I hope this journey has been as satisfying for you as it has for me so far. Teaching is my life and I am trying to get every drop out of my passion for this career. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I am still working out some kinks, but I hope to eventually take this blog to an even better place.
Thank you for continuing to support your kids at home and please encourage them to continue making affirmations each day. When kids choose something that they like about themselves they will build the inner confidence that will allow them to persevere through their tough times and they will be confidant enough to support their peers when needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment