Apr 11 2012

Humbled, Proud, and Completely Overjoyed…

by Miss B

They did it!  100% of the students in my class WILL be heading to 1st grade

 

So overjoyed and humbled.  When my principal brought in the test scores, I was down with the 4th graders helping with MCT2 prep, and she stopped class and announced that they had all passed.  Rumors had been spreading for days that they had, but, I wanted to hold the test scores in my hand. I immediately collapsed in her arms and began to sob.  While looking at the scores I then realized that not only did they pass, but they blew it out of the water!  The lowest score was a 77 and they needed a 70 to get into first grade.  This made me so happy and all the hard work, tears, frustration, anger and not so wonderful moments of the year all sudden disappeared.  No matter how angry they can make me, that does not matter.  All that matters is that they have worked hard, and we have proven what is possible

 

The best part of having these results in my hand has been making the parent phone calls.  I had three students who I was very worried about, and they were the first three phone calls I made.  Then all of my students wanted to call their folks, and so we did.  And it did not matter how well the student was doing, the results were ALL the same.  Parents screaming and some even joining us in crying on the phone.

 

These students have SO much potential that it is unreal.  I can only hope that their teachers in the coming years will help to cultivate that potential and swing them on and above what is expected of them.  These babies are so smart and so capable and I am beyond proud to call them  my own.

 

 

 

Categories: Teach For America · 5 Comments

5 Responses

1. Anna

   This is awesome! Teaching high school makes me appreciate the necessity of early childhood/elementary education.
   Congrats to you and your kids!

   on April 11, 2012 at 3:56 PM · Reply
2. Mr. K

   Yay! Congrats!

   on April 11, 2012 at 5:55 PM · Reply
3. Anna

   I am sure you’re relieved, but as a parent I think it’s really distressing that there’s so much pressure on kindergarteners to pass a TEST to prove they’re ready for first grade. To think there would be screaming and crying, anger and “hard work” along the way for FIVE-YEAR-OLDS is just … so sad.

   on April 11, 2012 at 8:28 PM · Reply
   • Miss B

     I understand what you are saying, but I actually like the Exit Exam concept (and is also the only concept that I know being a 1st year). Since the district has put the Exit Exam into place, many students have been able to take the time that they need in order to be ready for 1st grade. This system has also been effective in giving students that need it another year in Kindergarten rather than being retained in a higher grade level, when it becomes more of an emotional/social issue. Of the students that are currently in my class that have retained they have shown a world of growth because they were not ready due to their inability to focus, sit down for more than 1 minute and drastic behavior outbursts that have been curbed because of their extra year in Kindergarten. The expectations of students coming out of Kindergarten are also a lot different from the Kindergarten that was just 10 years ago and much different from the half day kindergarten that I went through in the early 1990s. Students now have to know all of their letter sounds and be reading especially with the new common core standards that are being adopted throughout the US.

     on April 11, 2012 at 8:53 PM · Reply
4. Anna

   I’m a different Anna, obviously

   on April 11, 2012 at 8:29 PM · Reply