My triple careers (fun-to-read indie author; over-educated pet sitter; homeschool mom) are not quite meeting the bills (e.g. $4000 for the plumber alone this week; $4000 for kid braces next month), so I'm determined to get a new job that will pay the bills and move me back into the world of education full time. I loved teaching in Clark and I was happy every day to be there. The only time I didn't love going into work was when my children were babies; I felt the separation so keenly, particularly as my son struggled with one illness after the other. Those baby days are over, now, and my children have become healthy and (mostly) independent. It's time for me to move back into the work world.
I don't believe much in standardized tests. And I resent having to pay so much money to ETS to retake the Praxis tests when I have already done so successfully in New Jersey. I also resent the $40 charge to send it to a prospective employer (how much do you think it costs them to send a score?). I have little choice, though, because I want Pennsylvania certification. Beyond the financial considerations, and beyond my frustration with having to prove myself as a competent teacher just because I moved a few miles over the state line... I must admit that I love taking tests.
Call me crazy, but I get excited when sitting down with a bunch of sharp No. 2s in order to prepare for grading and evaluation. It's simply fun for me. I took a diagnostic version of the math section today. 85%!!! As a language arts teacher, I'm thrilled with that score. Once I re-memorize the Pythagorean theorem and the formula for volume, I'll be all set. Next, I'm on to conquer social studies. As a person who could get the Marshall Plan and the Magna Carta mixed up, I have my work cut out for me. Then, science. Last time, my highest score was in the science section. I find this puzzling. I probably won't do more than glance through language arts; if I can't ace that one without studying, I don't deserve certification.
My love of taking tests is particularly contradictory because I was one of the first to get involved with the "opt-out" movement. I don't really believe that high test scores predict success (particularly in the case of classroom teaching, because it is natural charisma and classroom management skills that lay the foundation for a great teaching career). My skepticism about the effectiveness of standardized tests was influenced by the case of a colleague at Lincoln Middle School in Hawthorne, New Jersey. She was a paraprofessional. The students adored her, the other teachers liked her, and her teaching was effective, but she could not for the life of her pass the Praxis. I don't understand why, but it was sad to see her take it again and again with dismal results.
I do think that my high test scores (in the past) should help me get my foot in the door (in New Jersey, it's nepotism that gets feet in doors; in fact, unqualified and incompetent people get their whole bodies through doors because of nepotism in that state), but beyond that, the tests mean little if I don't have common sense, classroom management, and organization skills. And I do. Well, the organization part is a bit challenging (chalk it up to a creative mind), but I manage. I have high hopes that the right employer will come along.
I don't believe much in standardized tests. And I resent having to pay so much money to ETS to retake the Praxis tests when I have already done so successfully in New Jersey. I also resent the $40 charge to send it to a prospective employer (how much do you think it costs them to send a score?). I have little choice, though, because I want Pennsylvania certification. Beyond the financial considerations, and beyond my frustration with having to prove myself as a competent teacher just because I moved a few miles over the state line... I must admit that I love taking tests.
Call me crazy, but I get excited when sitting down with a bunch of sharp No. 2s in order to prepare for grading and evaluation. It's simply fun for me. I took a diagnostic version of the math section today. 85%!!! As a language arts teacher, I'm thrilled with that score. Once I re-memorize the Pythagorean theorem and the formula for volume, I'll be all set. Next, I'm on to conquer social studies. As a person who could get the Marshall Plan and the Magna Carta mixed up, I have my work cut out for me. Then, science. Last time, my highest score was in the science section. I find this puzzling. I probably won't do more than glance through language arts; if I can't ace that one without studying, I don't deserve certification.
My love of taking tests is particularly contradictory because I was one of the first to get involved with the "opt-out" movement. I don't really believe that high test scores predict success (particularly in the case of classroom teaching, because it is natural charisma and classroom management skills that lay the foundation for a great teaching career). My skepticism about the effectiveness of standardized tests was influenced by the case of a colleague at Lincoln Middle School in Hawthorne, New Jersey. She was a paraprofessional. The students adored her, the other teachers liked her, and her teaching was effective, but she could not for the life of her pass the Praxis. I don't understand why, but it was sad to see her take it again and again with dismal results.
I do think that my high test scores (in the past) should help me get my foot in the door (in New Jersey, it's nepotism that gets feet in doors; in fact, unqualified and incompetent people get their whole bodies through doors because of nepotism in that state), but beyond that, the tests mean little if I don't have common sense, classroom management, and organization skills. And I do. Well, the organization part is a bit challenging (chalk it up to a creative mind), but I manage. I have high hopes that the right employer will come along.
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