Now, my first reaction was disappointment, since I know several of the middle school teachers and how hard they are working. I was happy to see that the high school earned the highest rating of level 1 for meeting most of the targets set by the state. However, these feelings were quickly replaced by a sense of validation. I have barely known my students a month, but the first impression they give is being very behind in their learning. Reading comprehension data indicates more than 1/3 of my students are several grades below level, and even among students with grade level comprehension, there are many who struggle with high school vocabulary.
I am happier than ever that I decided to take the #1st5days approach, instead of hitting the curriculum right away. During those days I was able to gain the students' trust, establish effective work habits, and build their confidence. I am now working harder than ever to modify the curriculum, and create lessons that are not only engaging, but truly meet students at their levels.
It has been a tough first month of school, and the workload has been overwhelming at times...but, as the MCAS results show, the struggle is real. I am the last person to take too much stock in a bubble test, however, my 9th grade students scored in the bottom 12% of all students who took the same test. This means I do need to work harder. Before this confirmation, I was second-guessing myself, thinking maybe I was imagining my students were so low. These dismal results have been invigorating, giving me a new sense of purpose and resolve.
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