Toil and Trouble...

Before we get started...does anyone know where I could buy cute, creative fonts to use on my laptop??  I have some things I want to create but I just have the plain-Jane Word fonts.  If so, please leave me a comment!!

Now, on to the day...

 Geez!! I don't know about the rest of you out there in Blog Land, but I am so ready for Spring Break! Someone opened up a can of crazy in my room and both of my classes tried some of it!  I can't explain it any better than that!

When we return from Spring Break, we have one week until the Writing STAAR here in Texas.  So, we have practiced our test taking skills for the last few weeks on test-like passages.  Our district calls this "Bridging to STAAR".  We are doing this in both Reading and Writing, two times a week.  I think my students have had enough.  I have had enough.  Don't get me wrong, it is essential that they practice test-taking strategies (NOT teaching the test), but things become boring and repetitive.  There is only so much excitement you can put into a story, questions, and answer choices.  Today, I had four students need to go to the nurse and about 20 really, really, really needed to go to the restroom because "It's an emergency!"  Right. I wanted to go to the restroom AND the nurse, too.  But...we soldiered on.

So, I didn't really get to introduce or reteach in the standard way.  However, we did come up with a STAAR reminder chart. 

 I plan to keep this up until the day before STAAR. Maybe they will read enough times to absorb it?? (fingers crossed, eyes closed...)It reminds of the cheerleading posters that are hung in the high school hallways.  I have a plan each day for the week before STAAR to get students pumped up! I'll try anything at this point...but don't tell them that!!!

On top of that, I've had to collect TELPAS samples.  I don't know why collection is such a pain...we are writing in class anyway.  AND, I had STAAR testing training on Tuesday and I have TELPAS Online training tomorrow! GEEZ! Bring on the Break!!!!

Before you leave, please "like" this page on Facebook and join me as a follower!!  And be sure to visit the blogs to the right and left...there are some awesome ones!!

So I leave you with a non-Potter quote (I know, I know...you're disappointed).  But it's still a good one to ponder...

"If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn."--Ignacio Estrada

Maybe, just maybe, new curriculum would work if we kept this quote in mind...

Always,

 
[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Words*]