Are you getting ready for summer?

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Who's ready for summer vacation? Nicer weather? My class is already for BOTH! We have been getting ready for the nicer weather and summer time fun, with a kinds of activities. While the students in grades 3-5 were sweating and taking the ELA state exams, my kids were working as quiet as they could in our class. I must say, I was pretty amazed at how quiet they were, until I was pulled last minute (like when the test was already suppose to start) to test a former student who was having a very difficult time focusing and needed a friendly familiar face to administer/proctor the test for him. Needless to say the test was VERY difficult and the frustration level was VERY high. (What are these test creators thinking?) Students that do not qualify for alternate state assessments need to sit for the SAME exam as the general education students. The general education student get 70 minutes to finish the exam, but my little 4th grade friend who was having testing issues got double time as per his IEP. So he and I sat in a room, that he was not familiar with, additional construction noise going on outside, for 140 minutes! The tears kept flowing and I felt awful. :(

I don't know what was worse the fact that this poor guy was going thorough this or that it was going to last for 140 minutes. Needless to say that he got through it, and so did I. I rewarded him with coming to my classroom and being my helper for the afternoon. He is such a great kid. While he was in my room, he saw a few new things that my k-2 kids are working on. He did notice that I had just freshly laminated these two ten frame activities. "Ooh, how fun!! Can I play?" The expression and excitement on his face was such a great sight after the 140 minutes of testing. I was so happy to see him want to do work on these games.

My students and him used these resources for most of the afternoon and then he told me, "You're my favorite person in the whole wide world!" followed by the best hug. (I let him take the tens frame over the weekend.) This was a treat for him and my way of getting him to come back to school on Monday, for the first part the MATH state exam. Wish me luck! I mean wish him luck!

Beach and Boat Ten Frame and Activities