March Madness...

March Madness makes most people think of basketball for sure.. but for me, it has a totally different meaning. March madness, in the realm of an elementary intervention specialist, means testing and lots of it. We have to show academic achievement and growth from the beginning of the year until now. This is definitely necessary, yet it is extremely exhausting for not only the children but myself. When you are used to moving around and including a lot of kinesthetic learning in your day, sitting for hours in a chair becomes cumbersome to the core- no pun intended.

I wish there was a way for me to show our students' learning, but in an outside the box kind of way. A portfolio of their best work throughout the year, a song writing portfolio with a presentation of material, or providing instructions on a new video game they created. If we are trying to prepare modern day thinkers, why are we still asking multiple choice questions? I know this kind of learning and assessing is not for everyone. However, I do not want to sit idly by while my students try to stumble across multisyllabic words they are not familiar with. 

So... if I were to compare this to the big dance.. It would be a little like having me play starting point guard for Kentucky, just to see how I would do compared to where I was before. I would never be ready for that kind of stress and pressure because I came in so much further behind everyone else. Does that change the expectation of trying to make it to the final 4.. NO! 
I know that is an awkward analogy- anyone who has seen me dribble a basketball would understand. This is how our kiddos feel though. We prepare them the best we can but some are just not going to be ready at game time. It doesn't matter how many tests we give and how much we practice, they just need more. 

Can I get a timeout????