Hello friends, family, and strangers (I flatter myself)! I am a recently-graduated girl finding my way in the "real world" (apparently, I've been floating around the fake world for the past two decades). Many of my friends' "real world"s consist of cubicles, nine-to-fives, marriage, babies, and other such grown-up things. My real world looks a little different. Yes, I still get up and go to work every morning, same as they do. But instead of battling fax machines, computer programs, disgruntled spouses and dirty diapers, I arm myself against a legion of 14-year-old boys. Well, 83 of them to be exact. You see, I teach 8th-grade boys' Science in an inner-city, high-poverty school. What it is not: glamorous, prestigious, boring. What it is: humorous, heartbreaking, and the most challenging thing I will ever do.

The stories I tell and the people I describe are real; you can't make this stuff up. If you are new to my blog, I hope you'll start at the beginning and fall in love with its characters, just as I have.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

ExtraOnerousGarbage

I hate EOGs. I hate that we teach all year to have students perform well on a test instead of, oh...I don't know...being prepared for high school? Knowing how to write correctly? Understanding how to analyze problems? Think critically about the world they live in?

But that's just me being silly.

Anyways, we got our data back. Our grade is divided into four teams:

Team A: IB kids (the highest-performing--and usually best-behaved kids)
Team B: Honors kids (the ones that take Algebra instead of regular math)
Teams C and D: (You guessed it) The leftovers/behavior problems. Lowest-performers. Team C=boys, Team D=girls.

Pass rates were as follows (this is before retests):

Team A: 70%
Team B: 60%
Team C (us): 56%
Team D: 33%

About what I expected. I'm pleased that every one of my boys who did what they were supposed to do this year passed. I'm also happy I had 16 4s (the highest score)--same as the Honors team.

56% is still not great, but I'm not a miracle-worker. I'm just a girl, standing in front of some boys trying to love them.

That sounded vaguely familiar.
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1 comment:

  1. Kelley MaxwellJune 1, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    Kiley-
    Our family is cheering for you! You have blessed these kids with way more than just test results. You loved them well, you challenged them, you learned their culture and entered into it, you persevered to teach a subject that you didn't love yourself, and you did it creatively. The blog has brought so much laughter to my soul and I have used it to encourage others working in inner city schools. Thank you for giving of yourself for these 2 years - completely! You have earned some big jewels in your crown, Sister! God has something perfect in mind for you, wait on His timing. He has prepared you and continues to perfect you for His work. So proud of your commitment and the faithful love that you have shown these kids!

    We love you!
    Kelley & Doug

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