Assessment Frustration!

WARNING UN-POLITICALLY CORRECT RANT AND RAVE!!!
Please forgive me if you are reading this and you are a teacher... it seems that teachers get the raw end of the stick, they are told how to teach something even if they don't neccessarily agree with the method. I have the highest respect for teachers, but it is the system that I am finding more and more frustrating.

I recently meet with J8's teacher to discuss J's apparent frustration with school, especially in reading and maths. Her teacher did a reading assessment on her before we meet with her and discovered that while she reads (decodes) at a level 2+ years above her chronological age (this has been the case for years), she has remained on her current level for 6 months because she consistently fails the comprehension side of the assessment... why you may ask? not because she is not comprehending but because she is "over thinking" and nobody has explained to her what she has been doing wrong, for example she read a reading about Coke and there was a question, What is soft drink' J8 answered with 'carbornated water,sugar and flavour', the asssessment required that answer was "a non-alcholic drink", so Ok I get that she was incorrect in the context of a reading comprehension test, but her answer was correct in a general knowledge sense and the poor kid has been confused because as far as she is concerned it is correct... up until last Friday she had not ever been explained as to why she was marked incorrect.

Then R11 was doing maths homework and did a sum which that answer was correct, but she was marked incorrect because she hadn't done the working in the way that that particular exercise required, which I guess is Ok except that this was not explained to her so she got confused because the answer was correct but it has a big red cross next to it. Ok in this situation she could have asked her teacher to explain why it was incorrect so 50% of the issue is her lack of confidence in approching to ask.

Kids need to know why they have been marked incorrect especially when the question is correct but not in context, how else do they learn ... ARGHHHH!!!!

I realise that in a class of thirty you can not meet every child's educational needs, and now in a bid to be politically correct there is no streaming as such. I have a friend who is doing Early Childhood training and has been doing a paper on diversity, it seems that things have gotten so out of kilter. There is no 'normal' anymore, it is so politically correct... I mean the youth that are in the Cell group I lead tell me that there is no 'fail' mark as such anymore, it is now 'not achieved' which I guess it is the same as a fail but in more sugar coated language so they don't feel bad.

I have been reading some books, one about the NZ education system and one about the Aussie system and I have to say it scares me. They both talk about being outcomes based (which you will note other countries who have previously used this system have thrown it out because it doesn't work), and even more concerning is the underlying neo-marxist philosophy. Now I don't tend to be a conspiracy theorist and would usually just turn my nose up and say 'yeah right!' But I have been increasing concerned about my kids education so have been doing a lot of research and reading. It worries and angers me that we are told that J8 should be happy and not to worried as she is working well above expectation in all subjects, the fact that the child is worried and wanting to do all she can which means needing a greater challenge seems to be irrelevent - she has an exceptional brain that when under utilised becomes succeptable to anxiety, but when challenged and pushed she becomes articulate and happy... R11 has become a ditzy blonde and while some of it is age, she also admitts why do 100% when she can get away with doing 50% or less than she is capable of?

Education - Your thoughts

If you are lurking about reading my blog, please delurk and tell me your thoughts on education... especially if you live in NZ. What / how do you education your children? Private school, public school, correspondance school??? Do your home educate?
Why do you do what you do in regards to education?

Sick'N'things

I have spent the weekend in my PJs and had three nice hot baths... though this may sound like the luxurious life we all dream of... it was not. I am sick. I usually get a bug and carry on but not this time it seems to have taken hold. It's the hot one minute cold the next variety... starving and then nauseuos... yah! Just when we had a relatively quiet Saturday, we had decided that we would take the girls out somewhere special, but alas at 5am on Saturday morning when I woke up feeling like c**p these plans all changed. My hubby is great - he runs baths and buys me ginger beer, he organises someone to fill my gap on the computer roster at church and lets me moan and groan on the couch, all the time doing washing and supervising children and finding time to massage my aching feet and sore legs. He is such a great guy, we love him to bits...

Pastor's Wife

About a year ago someone said something to me that sent me into a small tailspin... it was a revelation of sorts. We were talking about her being a Pastor's Wife and she quite bluntly... in love of course said 'But you are one too!' I had never really put myself in that catergory. So I guess now I have another label.... I am a wife, a mum, a friend, a sister, an aunt etc etc and now I guess I should add pastor's wife.

Anyway, I went to a school garage sale today and was so excited to find one of those tupperware conatainers that you put your beetroot or pickles in that has a movable shelf... almost brand new and for 50cents. I was able to buy a couple of nice fluffy baby blankets and great jersey for a friend's son and some clothes for my girls, all for the grand total of $1. I bought books for my niece and nephew and a cool game for my kids.... all I spent was $6.00 and that included a bacon and egg roll. I could very easily get into garage saling... I must begin to set my alarm for early Saturday morning garage sale crawls...

Bi-Monthly addition

Hi there,
I had thought I would start 2008 with writing this blog more regularly, but alas no... I have sat down a few times... but felt like who in the world is really intertested in my ramblings and what possibly can I write that encompasses my beautiful girls and my wonderful husband to their fullest credit.

If read my blog please delurk and ask me some questions...

:) Blessings T

2008

This is a photo we took in Aussie 2006... I worked out how to post it.

Well, I am not really a blogger.... However, this year I think I will be a little more up to date being that I have so much family around who are no longer a short drive away... and would like to know what we are up to.
However, please don't expect photos of the girls posted here.

Unfortunately, I don't really have alot to report. Our beloved family moogie - Claude, was run over and died... sadly J8 found him and was pretty much unconsolable, she wanted him back NOW! Bella the family mutt spent a couple of days looking for his playmate and was a bit morose... yes they were friends and played and slept together.

We actually stayed up to see in the new year, it was great to spend it with close friends.

Anyway, we were all very blessed at Christmas, the most obscure gift received (which to be honest I am not 100% sure what I think of) was factory second ginger bread men made by my sister.... check them out at http://randomthoughtskaren.blogspot.com/ My hubby loved them, thought they were great.

Well, I guess the festivities are now all over for another year. Now all that remains is to see what 2008 will bring...

Bless you all :)