Explosions in the Brain

I will forgo other trivial thoughts of the moment to focus on an issue that's come up that I actually feel a bit of enraged passion for. (Enraged in the nicest, most wonderfully debatable way possible.)

The Praxis II.

A good number of the people in my cohort took this test, which everyone is required to pass before they are able to student teach, this past weekend. I took it this summer, found it to be fairly simple, with a few odd questions that the majority of test takers would probably miss, but add a general complexity to what would otherwise be a test that any high schooler should be able to pass.

Note: I do not experience test anxiety, rather enjoy showing off how much I know about random things and in general know a little about a lot of things (and a little more than a little about others). I've never had a problem with tests in general, but I do agree that standardized tests are not a good measure of how much a person knows in general, because not everyone is as alright with taking tests as I find myself to be. (Varied assessment ++!) I'm also not a fan of the standardized test movement, and think that, while No Child Left Behind has a nice idea behind it, it's been terribly constructed and needs to be completely reworked. Moving on...

In social studies yesterday, the TA provided the opportunity for my classmates to get some of their problems with the test off of their chests. She opened with the question, "How many of you feel that you should have to take a test like the Praxis to become a teacher?" I was the only one who raised my hand. The only one. (Courtney wasn't there yet, though, and she said that she agreed that it was important this morning when we talked about it.)

Yes, teachers need to have more than knowledge-- there is a huge aspect of teaching that deals with knowing how to interact with students and their families. Being good at explaining things, having the ability to handle unpredictable situations... it's all important. And it was all mentioned in social studies as being... more? important than the general knowledge content. Yes, anyone can research the things that they are going to be teaching. Yes, the Praxis II does have some random questions that very few people in the general public know and no one would expect someone to know off the top of their head. But the majority of this test was general knowledge that someone who is going to be teaching young children should know.

There is nothing more frustrating to me than being taught by someone who is a bad speller and doesn't realize it. If you're going to be writing on a chalkboard, you should know how to spell most words (but be able to admit that some words are tricky and need to be looked up), construct a grammatically correct sentence (don't look at my blog posts as an example of good grammar, please), and be able to answer general questions about the content that come up on the spot. No, you don't have to have all of the answers. But my god, the content! It's essential!

Okay. Breathe.

Teachers have a reputation. The reputation for elementary school teachers involves a lot of thought about artsy fartsy good feeling times and babysitting. Teachers are not seen by the general public as intellectuals, nor as professionals by the average person. Things are changing, I think, for the better, but denying the importance of something like the Praxis II will set us back.

The test needs to be reworked-- it's not infallible, nor should it be the only determining factor in whether someone is allowed to become a teacher. It is, however, important to know what the greenhouse effect is. Or which mountain range contains Mt. Everest. Or the order of the planets in the solar system. And how to do general algebra. Without this basic background of information, it isn't possible to build a stronger base of information through research. Learn the basics. You don't have to ace the test, and if you're not a good test taker, I can't hold you accountable for that, but please please please realize the importance of having general knowledge about the world and the way that it works before becoming a teacher.

Rant. . . losing. . . steam. . .

I'm going to go for a walk. (And no, I'm not having a crappy day in the least-- it's actually been quite lovely thus far.)