The Night $7.33 Changed My View On Life

Last Saturday started out completely unremarkable. I woke up, I cleaned. Jordan woke up and helped me. We went and got some Dunkin Donuts (the newest "spot" in Logan). Seriously, boring. Then a dear friend called and he and his wife offered to make us dinner. So they came over with some amazing chili, which we gobbled up. Then we decided to have some fun and headed over to another friend's apartment. 

Around 12:30 we decided to go to Taco Bell and Walmart. I wanted a Dr. Pepper and some snacks. My friends wanted some straws and obviously, some tacos. 

So anyways, we get to Taco Bell and they are out of beef! Does that make sense? No. Did it happen anyways? Yes. So we are now taking forever to decide what all the people in my car want that doesn't involve beef. And this car rolls up behind us revving its engine. We can't hear the guy through the speaker, and he can't hear us and it's getting super frustrating. Suddenly the guy starts screaming profanities at us. What the heck? So the less than sober ladies in my car flip the kid behind us off. He pretends to get out of his car to come at us but I don't really do anything about it so he gets back in. We get our food and drive away. THE CRAZY GUY FOLLOWED US!! Screaming and making rude gestures and all kinds of craziness. He finally gets bored and spins around, hitting a tree in the process. At this point a friend is on the phone with the police, so we left the psycho and his tree and drive back to Walmart. 

At this point, I feel like crap. I'm shaky and just down on the world. Why would someone work so hard to hurt a carful of people they don't know? Most everyone stays in the car because they are freaked out. Anyways. I gather my snacks and my friend gathers her stuff and we head to the check out. My friend heads to the bathroom and I wait in line. I'm so excited for this Dr. Pepper it's unbelievable. 

I feel like it's taking forever so I start watching the guy in front of me. His card gets declined. One, two, three times later I look at the price. $7.33. Declined again. Then again. I hear myself say, "Hey, can I buy this? Would that be alright?" The man and he he cashier both look at me. I feel a little awkward but I swipe my credit card. Done. The man turns and thanks me about a hundred times. I realize he has tears in his eyes. He introduces himself  and then gets his stuff and leaves. The cashier is grinning at me and telling me how nice I am. 

That night I learned a lesson I will never forget. People are mean. Seriously, this world is full of awful human beings. But I can change that. Kindness is eternal, and all you have to do is spread it. I went from completely downtrodden to feeling good for two whole days. SO if you ever feel like the world is out to get you, do something nice for someone. It's going to make a difference, I guarantee it. 

Reflections on the Common Core

As a high school teacher, I find myself increasingly turning to the Common Core to determine which lesson I should teach next. In fact, it is so important that I teach to the Core that I have been given a huge book that breaks down standards one by one. 

As I was completing an assignment for my class on teaching English/Language Arts using the  Core, I found myself reflecting on my feelings of this new standard and standardized testing in general. Most of the teachers, and even some parents hate the Core and standardized testing. It is expected for me to oppose them as well, because I am a teacher and therefore they must be hindering my creativity and ability to teach. But to the contrary, the more I read and attempt to understand these standards, the more useful they become to me. I know, I was shocked too. 

Don't get me wrong, by implementing a Common Core, the United States has  NOT standardized education. They haven't even necessarily improved education yet. The Core doesn't provide exceptions for kids with disabilities or kids considering an alternative career path. It is designed to get students ready for college and that's pretty much it. However, teachers can use these standards to guide their instruction for other students who may not fit into the target group. I like that. I think teachers need something to guide them. A goal to strive for, if you will. Otherwise my classes would be much easier moved to a tangent, and nobody learns that way. 

The real problem with the Core lies in how it is evaluated. Standardized testing, while easy to do, is not a successful measurement of student achievement. For example, I have a 12th grade student reading on a sixth grade level. With specialized instruction and accommodations and one on one time, this student is able to operate academically on an eighth grade level.  When tested, he receives the same questions as his peers who are at or above grade level. True, he may receive accommodations but that doesn't put him at 12th grade. So he is considered a failure, when in reality he is much more successful than last year. I'm sure thousands of teachers have stories like this and could back me up. It's sad, but what can I do?

My first year of college, as I started my classes and got ready for my career, I thought I'd be the teacher that changed the world. That my friends and I could ban together and make a Big Difference in education. I thought that I'd be a name worth remembering. And now, in my own classroom, I still want that. I want things to change so that my students are never left behind. So they don't feel dumb, and they aren't told they can't do something. But I don't even know if it's possible anymore. People hate change. People hate being told how to improve. People will fight academics tooth and nail for the rest of forever. So instead of changing the world, I will change my classroom. I won't leave my struggling students behind. I'll use the core to guide my instruction. What I want from everyone else is to support me. Support your teachers, your schools, your students. Recognize and appreciate and reward the little changes that are being made. 

Always remember, big changes have little beginnings.