Monday, February 22, 2010

Day 94

Today was pretty chill until last period. We recently moved some kids around between classes to try and group certain behavior problems and academic problems in a way that will allow us to prepare for the annual standardized test, but without exactly "tracking" kids into homogenous groups. Not easy! We've ended up with a couple small chill classes and a high-achievement class which is too big and where the behavior is off the chain. This is my last period class now, and I had to drop the hammer on them, and I wasn't in the mood. Mostly they just talk and pass notes: not as bad as some classes I've had, with the stabbings and chair-throwing and whatnot, but in a single-step-down-from-GT class I expect a certain level of cooperation. If I don't get it, you get my displeasure. Which they got.

Now my throat hurts from yelling, but I got to chill out after school (and a long detention) because of crisis intervention training, where I learned some useful skills. Two more nights of that!

Got some good news: I have (so far) 10 passes on the latest Benchmark test, up from 8on the 2nd, and two of those are advanced scores, of which I had zero last time. Two of my kids scored so high that they are moving to GT, and I will miss them. I still have two kids who have been sick who are almost sure to ace the test as well, so I may almost double my proficients for the second cycle in a row. Even more exciting is the fact that I have many kids who moved dramatically in percentage from the 30s to the 50s. These kids are now "near-passes" with a shot at getting over the hump on the MSA test in March. And the principal said I have terrible data results! Nobody else is moving kids like I am...there are 2 advanced kids in the entire sixth grade: mine. There are 13 proficients, and ten of those are mine. I own 90% of the near-passes, many of whom were scoring in single-digits on the exams when I got them.

Tomorrow is a new day. Hopefully there will be no insomnia tonight.

2 comments:

ec/KP said...

you are a rock st*r!!!

Anonymous said...

indeed. Ellen PLAYS music. I DESIGN it. but YOU ROCK IT!!!!!!!

:) jv