Most of mine I got through observation as a kid, reaching full
maturity as a young teenager - I think I was taking a first aid
test after some training. There was nothing confusing about it.
Straight forward. No trick questions. "Can't be this easy" I
remember thinking. "Where's the trick?" and that's when it
clicked in that THIS was the right way to give tests. Thing is,
I'm good at tests. Always did really well at them. I learned how
they go at a young age and worked around their little mazes. But
I felt bad. I felt back for the more normal people. I knew I
wasn't normal - normal for me of course but I felt bad for those
who sweated, struggled, crammed for tests - and the whole thing
was ridiculous to me. That's probably why I picked up
Unschooling, "Why johnny can't read", Summerhill and books like
that in the Roselle Park library, probably in the 8tth grade,
just before vail-deane.... I never knew what inspired me to pick
up those books, but I remember being so annoyed for friends that
went crazy over test-days. Such an eye opener to see I wasn't
the only one that thought it was ridiculous. I only learned
about the "grit" angle recently. I suspected it but it's when I
saw a book that was very influential a few years ago (I have the
title somewhere) among teachers that I saw what the newer issue
is: it justified the confusion. Justified the process. Made it
perfectly ok to run kids through the meat-grinder. They already
did it - back when we went to school. But this book made it ok.
I didn't read it so my knowledge is limited to the positive
reviews it got from teachers and educators... but I can see its
influence in the way that common core implementation took place.
In theory common core is good: Standards. But the implemention
is horrible. Thankfully, Obama cancelled the "No child left
behind" thing from Bush, which Common Core was riding on... so
now states are going to regain tremendous control now. No longer
is teacher pay going to be tied to student performance. So, I
expect better thing coming Fingers crossed.
