An Ode to State Testing

I don't know how to make an ode, but I just wanted to let you know the current plan for testing.  

Right now I just want to fast forward the next 4 weeks. Or we can even start the countdown to summer. That’s okay too. I’ve got spring fever and I’m ready for state testing to be over... 

Week of 4/19 ELA testing 

Week of 4/26 Science testing 

Week of 5/3 Math testing 

3 weeks... come on May! 

It probably doesn’t help that we got word that in class and distance learners can not test at the same time. The plan had been that half of the DLs would test with Group A, the other with Group B, so no afternoon testing would be needed, other than make ups. But that now won’t work, so here’s the current revised plan. 

Every morning all the kids will log on for a few minutes to take attendance and go over their must do’s. Then in class will start testing, and at home will go about their daily independent work. 

Monday am - Group A is in class, testing 

Monday pm - all Distance Learners log in and test virtually 

Tuesday am - Group B is in class, testing 

Tuesday pm - anyone not done with that part logs in to finish it up at home

Wednesdays- the only day we are all together, virtually, doing review, catching up, moving forward together. Hopefully we can also have some fun. I feel that testing is going to suck up all the joy of school. :(

Thursdays and Fridays - more testing, same schedule. 

The kids at home that aren’t testing will have work to do that is due that same day. Distance learners will have both days to do the must do’s since they are testing in the afternoons. I figured out a basic outline that I can plug in content. We are still at the limit of 4 hours of school stuff per day, and with testing that pretty much doesn’t leave a lot of other time. 

I figure the only way to move forward is to record intro. videos for Social Studies and Science. I do an overview, and they do the independent work. Then I will also record sections of our novel so they can still listen to our story. We will be starting Ben and Me over the next few testing weeks. :) 

I’ll have to record the lessons the week before to add to our assignment tab and our Weekly Breakdown. So more to do on my to do list. I really like Screencast-o-matic. It has made it so easy this year!! 

For Math, they will be working on their game boards for Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader? to review for the math test. It’s a whole thing in itself, so I’ll share about it in a separate post. 

It’s about to get a little crazy up in here... who am I kidding?  I guess it’s been crazy all year long. I can’t wait for things to be back to normal. Whenever that happens it will feel like a piece of cake compared to all this. 

Now I want cake. Baking does relieve some stress. 

Hope you are well. :)