Four Years Later

I had a real tough time starting this blog just like I've had a real tough time in the classroom over the past few weeks.  It seems that at almost every turn of the corner something adds to my frustration level and I think to myself, I don't need to do this.  So what frustrations have been added?  There are a few.  During the past week, our third grade scholars had to take the state mandated IRead3 test.  The IRead3 test, like the Indiana Stupid Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) test, is a waste of time in my opinion.  After all, you spend millions of dollars administering the tests, identify the scholars that did poorly, then put together a remediation plan to get the failing scholars caught up academically or hold them back for a school year, and every one associated with these tests pats themselves on the back for another successful testing process.  Quoting Sherman T. Potter, Colonel, MASH 4077, "this is grade-A bull cookies!" because the remediation or holding back for a school year rarely happens and do you want to know why?  Because, before the results of these worthless tests come out, the scholar has already advanced to the next grade level.

Here is frustration level incident number two.  Both Huey and Cue are on the schedule for IRead3 testing and they are going to take the test on-line in our computer lab.  I'm sure you can easily recall my opinion on on-line testing so I will not do a review.  However, as expected, right in the middle of taking the IRead3 test, Huey got kicked out of the on-line test and he didn't finish.  A few days later, Huey and Cue are scheduled to take part two of the IRead3 test but the test administrators ran into a huge obstacle with Huey.  Huey refused to even start part two of the test.  He told the test administrators that he will not take the test until he is given a chance to finish the first part of the test.  When I was told what Huey said in the computer lab I had to restrain myself from standing up and cheering for Huey.  After all, Huey was trying to do his part and like it has countless times before either the software failed or the internet failed.  I'm not sure what was said to Huey when he said he wasn't going to take the test.  I suspect he was chastised but in truth he should get an apology from all the advocates for on-line testing for another testing fiasco.

Here is frustration level incident number three.  Academics has taken a backseat in the classroom with Fruit, Blank, and Tourette in the room.  So, with academics already taking a backseat in the classroom what does the Special Education overhead leadership personnel do, they add scholar number eight to the classroom.  Early last week, AreYouSure, a second grade scholar, walked into our classroom.  If you think I'm frustrated with the addition of number eight, imagine how Knewer feels now that she has to prepared lesson plans for four grade levels.

This is the last one.  It's Friday of last week.  I'm sitting at my table where I have a real swell view of eight scholars from the back of the room when a Special Education overhead person walked into the classroom.  Normally this person sits somewhere off to the side of the room, does some observations, takes a few notes and then exits the classroom.  On this day, this person chose to sit right next to me at my table.  After a bit of small talk this person looked at me and said, "you're going to get another scholar (number nine)."  I sat silent for a moment and then said, "with nine scholars in the classroom is that enough for a second instructional assistant?"  This person's response was, "no."  More silence followed and then this person turned to me and said, "would you be interested in getting paid again to do this job?"  My response came very quickly, "no, and with so many scholars in this room I'm not sure if I even want continue volunteering in this classroom."

Not surprisingly, with my "no" response, the Special Education person promptly exited the classroom.  What will happen next when scholar number nine arrives is an unknown.  However, here is what I know.  The Special Education department made it clear that a second instructional assistant will not arrive.  Interestingly, the Special Education department was willing to rehire me and do you want to know why, they can't find anyone willing to sit in a classroom with scholars that are prone to angry outbursts.  When I think about what just happened I sort of wish that instead of saying, "no" to the Special Education overhead person I said something that I know my friend A.O. of Vino would have said if he was in my position.  One second thought, I will not tell you what A.O. of Vino would say as it would be inappropriate language.  Although you don't know it I'm sitting here in front of my laptop laughing out load thinking of my friend A.O. of Vino and what his reaction would have been.

Frustrated, frustrated, and then I walked into Teacher #4's classroom with Grr! for math and this happened.  The lesson for the day was to use a protractor to measure angles.  Teacher #4 started by showing a real nice video from YouTube, I think, about the proper use of a protractor.  Next, she explained the assignment to the scholars using her name as an example.  Using the whiteboard at the front of the room she showed the scholars how to make an uppercase D.  As Teacher #4 started making the D she added this rule, you can only use straight lines to make the letters.  To show how to make an uppercase D with only straight lines Teacher #4 started by drawing the stick on the D.  Then, using only straight lines, she finished the D by drawing two lines that resembled the letter V.  Hopefully, you followed that.

With her named spelled out on the whiteboard, only using straight lines, Teacher #4 passed out an
8 1/2" by 11" lined sheet of graph paper to each scholar and told the scholar to spell their name on the graph paper using only straight lines.  Grr! had a little trouble getting started so I helped him with the first letter.  When he finished spelling his name I asked him if he needed help measuring the angles.  He did, so I helped him with his first letter as has it had four angles in it.  After a couple minutes he caught on to the assignment and told me he could do the rest of the letters.

As I sat watching Grr!, female scholar #1 walked over to the table I was sitting at, sat down right next to me, and asked me if I would help her.  Like Grr!, her problem was making the letters in her name and measuring the angles.  As I was helping female scholar #1, female scholar #2 sat at my table, put her head down on her forearm, and I could tell she was crying.  I waiting until the tears stopped before asking her if she wanted some help.  Female scholar #2 said she did so I helped her.  As I'm helping female scholar #1 and #2 Grr! tapped me on the shoulder and said to me, "Mr. Schultz, it's time to go."  I looked up at the clock and then said to Grr!, "let me finish helping these two scholars and then we can leave."  Grr! then stood up and walked over to the classroom door to wait for me.  Just as I was standing up to leave male scholar #1 tapped me on the back, "can you help me?"  I walked over to Grr!, told him to head back to our classroom and when he arrived to tell Knewer that I'll be down in a couple minutes.  As I'm helping male scholar #1 I looked up at the clock and saw that fifteen minutes had passed since Grr! left the room.  When I finished helping male scholar #1 I headed toward the classroom door.  As I passed Teacher #4, who was helping multiple scholars at a time she said to me, "thanks."  With only two more steps to go before exiting the classroom I heard a voice behind me say, "Mr. Schultz, can you help me?"  I hesitated as I looked up at the clock and saw that I was now twenty minutes late returning to Knewer's class then turned to male scholar #2 and said, "sure."

Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating but in the extra twenty minutes that I stayed in Teacher #4's classroom helping those scholars with their protractors all the frustration was forgotten.  Why?  It's the academics that I thoroughly enjoy doing and in that twenty minutes I was doing academics and I knew I was a huge help to a teacher that was faced with multiple scholars that needed assistance and I could offer that assistance.

I started writing this blog on Sunday, March 18th but chose, intentionally, to finish writing it on Monday, March 19th and for a good reason.  Today, March 19th, is the four year anniversary of me writing this blog.  What started out as whim, something that my daughter convinced me to do, has been a four year adventure.  And here is the absolutely amazing part.  For four years, usually within a day or a day and a half of posting the blog, readers of this blog contact me.  The contact would come from cell phone texts, Facebook messaging, Facebook posts, emails, and occasionally face to face conversations.  Those contacts from so many of you are very special and they are something they will stay with me for a long time.  So I offer each of you a heart felt thank you and hopefully you'll continue to follow along with the musings of an old, wrinkled faced, gray hair man who has a really swell view from the back of the classroom.

Almost forgot, I'm on spring break for two weeks so you may not hear from me for a while.