Like many of the schools in Chicago Public School District,
we are required to administer many different standardized tests to the students
at the beginning of the year to track their progress and see where they stand.
Because of this, our resources are stretched to the limit and the students with
IEPs and alternative testing plans are not always given full accommodations to
their needs.
Two of my
students normally take standardized tests in a separate room and with extra
time, but it did not go as planned today.
I was chosen to proctor their tests, so we set out to find a location
that would cater to their needs. After
searching, we decided the quietest place was actually in our classroom at the
back table. I followed the directions
from their IEPs and read the directions
out loud to the students. I sat with
them as they tested, guiding them to stay on track and helped them clarify the
questions.
At the end
of the test the resource teacher came in and I went over what I had done with
the students to keep things as normal for them as possible throughout the test. She gave me two thumbs up and said I did the
best I could have done for them. I was
pleased they had a successful testing environment and was grateful for the
opportunity to work specifically with their accommodations. This made me realize the importance of talking
with the resource teacher and understanding how I can accommodate to those
students. She is a wealth of knowledge
and can provide me with ideas and information on accommodations. There are so many things I can do for my
students to help them have a productive learning environment and I need to seek
out some of those resources in order to best help my students.
It sounds like this is a case of realizing many of the other pieces to the puzzle that often remain hidden during the "apprenticeship of observation" (when you were a student, you may or may not have noticed other teachers searching for a place to fulfill the accommodations of other students). It is good that you remain vigilant and continue to notice these aspects of school and the job of the classroom teacher that you may not have noticed before. You are also doing the right thing by not bemoaning these responsibilities, but seeking out the resources in place that can assist you with giving your students the best education possible.
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