Teach to the Test--NOT!

Yesterday I particpated in Classroom 2.0’s (Steve Hargadon) weekly learning experience.  I have grown to look forward to this opportunity every Saturday morning.  Amazing professionals show up each weekend to share what is good about teaching  and learning and to inspire others in our quest to do what’s right for our kids.

Barbara Bray was the guest yesterday and she gave an excellent presentation!  One of her thought-provoking  concepts was about student engagement.  Bray reminded us, “There should be laughter and joy at school.”  We should strive for “flow” where students’ skill level and their challenge level are so well connected, students are energized in their learning and feel  success.

You talk with any educator and you would get little argument with this philosophy.  Teachers dream of achieving this state of connectedness and engagement with their students.  Despite knowing this and wanting this, too many teachers and administrators (guilty-here) take another approach.  Teach to the Test!

In our K-5 school, I beg teachers to take risks and make their students’ learning rich and inspiring.  We have many instances where incredible learning projects are taking place.  I encourage our staff to take the path of those we admire, the Debbie Millers,  Reading with Meaning or the Donalyn Millers, The   Book Whisperer.  Focus on students developing a passion for reading and learning and they will be very successful on testing.  We know that’s right and yet we are too fearful to trust we can have success without doing an hour or two of test prep weekly.

How do we break out of the Teaching to the Test prison in which we find ourselves?  I would like to suggest we develop a site where teachers can pool their accomplishments and examples of how they have bucked thetest prep trend.  Show us and tell us of examples where you have really minimized test prep, yet your kids have tested well.  This concept, backed by some of our most respected stakeholders (insert names hereJ) could push the pendulum back in the direction it belongs.