7-3
Reading Week April 9, 2013
From Mr. McCracken
Introduction:
In this essay, I
will share some thoughts and ideas about what these upcoming tests mean. Reasons for doing well, hints for doing well
and what might help folks do better are ideas that will be addressed. There will even be a few questions at the end
to spark conversation and deeper thoughts.
Part 1:
Why try?
If you had 30
minutes of free time, what would you do?
Some would go hunting or fishing.
Others might get on the computer or play a video game. Just about all of us would pull out our
phones and check the time. Others may
call friends. I might ride my
motorcycle. Regardless, we would all
want to do something enjoyable. This is
where we run into a problem. We all find
different things enjoyable. Getting up
at 5 am to go sit in the cold would not be fun for some but waiting for a sale
to begin would bore others to tears.
Nothing is enjoyed by all.
So,
why can we say it is important to do well on these MAP tests, even if they are
not “enjoyable?” What will it mean if we
don’t do well on the tests? What if they
are not fun? For instance, nobody wants
to go take a test. Nobody wants to see
how well they rate, especially if they are afraid of doing poorly! We hate hearing how we don’t stack up or
compare as well as another! Wouldn’t it be better to not even try, than to try
and fail?
Story-time: What if your mom asks you to take out the
trash? Will you take it immediately? Will
you wait until she yells at you? Will
you pretend not to hear her? What will
it take to get you to take out the trash?
Of course taking out the trash is a minor little chore, but the results
make your mom so happy! It may have
taken a few minutes. You may have had to get off the phone, maybe come inside,
maybe stop watching TV or get off the computer, but it made your mom so very
happy! This is a sign of maturity,
finding enjoyment by making others happy.
I
know I am not your mom, but so many of you wished me happy birthday today. For
you I have one simple request. I am happy regardless but this would put me
over the top. To comply with this simple
request would let me know how much you really care. Would
you try your hardest on the MAP test, for me, please? I will still treat you well. I will honor and respect your choices and
even treat folks better than they treat others.
Part 2: Why would anyone do anything?:
This
portion of this post reminds me of Green
Eggs and Ham. (Here are the words, in case you forgot.) Of
course, Sam asks Grouch to try the meal over and over. Consider the methods Sam used to get Grouch
to try the meal. No bribing, belittling or coercion is involved. No
force, pressure, ridicule or sarcasm is used while they go on their adventures
together. In fact, they almost seem to
be getting along even better as they develop a relationship. The adventures seem to be more intense, adventurous
and even dangerous, but never is there talk of failure. The relationship is solid and a failure does
not put it in jeopardy. In fact, the
failure at the end where they are all in the water together is the proof that
Sam does care. Sam wants the best and is
willing to fail with Grouch to prove it. I know your teachers care, even in the midst
of failure. When Grouch finally relents and tries the concoction, of course he likes it, and
is happy for the first time in the book.
This is a true relationship, that one give it all up for the other,
regardless of the others response! I
believe the teachers at WMS want the best for us and are willing to go the
extra mile to make that connection and reach students.
There
is an old saying that relates to our lunch talk of Reluctantly Compliant. It goes something like this: Do what
you want. You are going to do it anyway
and you might as well be happy about it.
I think, we all want to do whatever we want to do. Sometimes we do things just because the
consequences of something else are unbearable.
If we are in a relationship with another, we don’t want to upset
them! If a caring adult asks us to do
something, we often times comply. If we
fail to comply, we are willing to suffer the consequences. The question becomes
a matter of motivation. Will students
try because of their family, their friends, their teachers, or even their
principal? Will you try because we ask you to try? Please? A Version of Green Eggs or Another Version a Final
Version (Note the faces of Sam & Grouch)
Part 3:
What to do?
Our
State of Missouri (dese) has listed a few pointers for us to
consider when preparing for a test.
Reading and writing are parts of most of the Tips. There are other practical ideas to ponder as
well. Read, go slow, and all those pointers actually help. Eating, sleeping, and skipping TV actually
improve test scores. Physical activity
and playing are helpful for our brains.
Story-Time:
Does anybody have a door jamb or board on the wall at home that has tick
marks or hash marks with dates and initials of your height as you are growing
up? This sort of measures your growth
physically! The MAP test sort of
measures your growth academically. When they say, “stand up straight” to know
how tall you really are, it matches when they repeat “do your best on the
test.” We learn what size clothes to get
by your height and we learn what education is necessary by how much you know
already! Of course you can’t set a goal
to grow but you can set a goal to learn.
These scores that follow along also transfer to show how much better you
are doing over time. We can make
educational goals just like in Ac Lab.
Conclusion:
What is important? What is valuable? What will you remember about your
future? Will you remember things, people
or actions? Will you remember how you
feel or what you did?
Student questions?
Define the
following:
Coercion:
___________________________________________________________________
Belittle:
___________________________________________________________________
Comply:
___________________________________________________________________
What would you do
with 30 minutes of free time? _____________________________
Do you agree with
the statement, “WE ALL DO WHATEVER WE WANT, ALL THE TIME?” Why or why not?
______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What would happen
if we all did poorly on our MAP tests?
___________________________________________________________________
What would happen
if we did well?
___________________________________________________________________
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