Be Prepared...for new ideas!

    So this is kind of a lame posting.  I'll warn you right off the bat.  I basically was on here because I have some terrific new followers so I wanted to follow them and therefore Blogger has popped up in my Gmail lots today.  Oh, and naturally, I'm always checking Blog Land for new ideas.  Especially since I must/need/have to/will do begin really super serious working with my students on test prep.  I do this all year, in those secret, hidden and undercover ways where the kids don't know that they are actually preparing for the test.  It gives them anxiety.  With the dark, looming cloud of a possible school merger/closing/consolidation, the kids are stressed.  Why add something more?  Well, Literature Circles end Monday (more on those later) so next Tuesday begins more serious test prep.  I will have 4 days next week, 5 days the following week, and a guaranteed 3 (maybe 4 depending on an apparent school spirit/volleyball activity the day before spring break) to work on this stuff.  I have a 90 minute block each of these days with random support.  Ok, it's not random but I have to coordinate a Special Ed teacher push in, the AIS reading teacher's push in, my 1:1 aide to best utilize her skills, AND a HS student who comes to help part of the period all together so we maximize what needs to be done.  And I refuse refuse REFUSE to make this prep dull and boring because quite frankly, my kiddos will shut down, do nothing in a virtual boycott, resulting in me panicking about their apparent "low" performance while all the while they are capable of being successful and are making choices NOT to because they are bored. I wish I was exaggerating.

Anyway, my short rant there is just to say that I promise some exciting test-prep infused lesson ideas in the coming weeks.  I am currently concocting one now...which entails me going through the Part 1 of the NYS tests archived from '06-'10 and itemizing them.  woo-hoo!  I'm such a wild lady on a Wednesday night! LOL Maybe I can finish this so I can implement it tomorrow before they take a practice multiple choice section on Friday with my substitute! (I have a gr. 4-8 ELA meeting with our district lit coach....)

Happy Teaching! :)  Ideas coming soon....promise!!!