tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154520607412791034.post2263642614789285476..comments2023-12-07T02:48:19.899-06:00Comments on LeadLearner: Say Yes to the Stress!John winkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11024907737609756444noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154520607412791034.post-67522152655745202782014-03-23T15:32:31.149-05:002014-03-23T15:32:31.149-05:00Thank you for your feedback. The stress is high fo...Thank you for your feedback. The stress is high for all involved, but we have to remember one thing. The test is not the end all be all. Learning is. We have to make that our focus and allow the test scores to be a by-product of our collective efforts to guarantee learning. Thanks for thoughts. Very much appreciated. John winkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11024907737609756444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154520607412791034.post-33581409767958094712014-03-15T14:24:58.180-05:002014-03-15T14:24:58.180-05:00This is such an interesting post--very zen, I migh...This is such an interesting post--very zen, I might add. I often think this--I think I can't change what the world throws at me, but I can change the way I react to it. And I do. If I didn't make a student feel great about him/herself every day, I haven't done my job. <br /><br />I was deeply moved by what you said in regards to the nine-year old with the weight of the world on his or her shoulders. This is the same for me at the high school level. I certainly lift this kid up--I high-five him, make her some hot chocolate, tell him he's awesome. <br /><br />But, there comes a point in my professional life--not in front of kids, where I stand up and say it's wrong to make a nine-year old kid feel the weight of the world on his shoulders over a test. Especially in this day and age where we can assess differently, and where the high-stakes test questions are not predictors of success. <br /><br />So, we have to ask ourselves, "What are the predictors of success?" I find that they're passion, work ethic, curiosity, and relationships with mentors and teachers. Sure, the skills are important, too, but sometimes marketable talents and geniuses are overlooked, swept aside for the Testable Skills. Then nine-year olds feel stupid, overpressured and begin to hate school just when they should be falling in love with a lifetime of learning possibilities. <br /><br />I totally agree that coping with stress is a life skill, though. As someone who's done a few different things in life, teaching stress is no better or worse than life stress, and helping students through any stress is a teachable moment. I just hate it when we're the system piling it on, though. We seek to provide positive experiences--testing should be one, too. dcaseyrowe@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09633870229321936278noreply@blogger.com