Computer Tests in Kindergarten?

 "Americans who truly want kindergartners to do well in the future need to back off with the testing pressure and let children learn naturally, introduced to formal schooling with well-qualified teachers to work at that grade level and who understand how they learn."

Early Childhood Educators across the country know that sitting a young child in front of a computer to assess their knowledge is not an accurate assessment of the child. Children need many skills to function in front of a computer including: hand eye coordination, reading stamina, understanding multi-step directions, knowledge of choice, an attention span that is exceptional and many other skills that are likely not the skills being assessed on the test itself. 

Any Early Childhood Educator will be able to express the power of observation. Allowing young children to engage in their environment and show what they know is exactly how "testing" should be for young children. An environment that is intentionally set up with developmentally appropriate activities in which a child can freely engage in to explore and learn the required standards from the state in which they live in is best practice. Why aren't educators able to do this?

What happens when best practice is faced with high stakes testing which are tied to funding? You know the answer, high stakes testing wins. When high stakes testing wins, the educators knowledge of best practice is tossed out the window leaving them feeling frustrated and unheard. If the adults teaching young children are feeling the stress of high stakes testing because they know it is not developmentally appropriate for their students, imagine how the child feels!

I recently came across this article Kindergarten Online Data? Teacher Observation is Safer and Better!  This article states the following regarding testing vs observation:

This is some of the information that is important to observe.

• How do children relate to other children?
• Do they have good gross and fine motor coordination?
• Do they like picture books and listening to stories?
• Are they able to remember simple tasks they’re asked to do?
• How do they think about playing with toys?

How does such testing hurt kindergartners?

• It isn’t developmentally sound.
• It places undue pressure on children.
• It wastes their time.
• It displaces a professional teacher’s expertise.
• It unfairly and inaccurately tracks children online.
• It wastes money.

Young children are skilled learners. They are born with natural curiosity for exploring the environment around them, they act like sponges as they take in new information. One way we can crush a child's natural instinct to learn is by forcing standardized testing. We know that this not an accurate representation of what a child actually knows. Standardized testing in young children increases anxiety, wastes valuable time that could be better spend engaging in the world and increases stress and frustration for the educators that know it is not developmentally appropriate for a five or six year old child. 

The question is, what can we do about it? When faced with knowing what is right for students and being forced to preform a useless task the educators hands are tied. It is a requirement that they students are exposed to these tests that really test nothing. One way that educators can support parents and children when high stakes testing is completed is by sharing the other piece of the pie. Educators can share the day to day tasks, observational data, individual areas of growth along with the state testing data. When these two items are presented together it can give a more solid representation of where the child actually is. This will help parents see that although your child might not preform on a computer test they are able to show what they know in real life situations that occur on a daily basis in the classroom. Is this time consuming? Of course it is, all observational data in early childhood classrooms take time. However, they also provide real life data that is not sterile in a multiple choice question on a computer test. In life, which is more valuable? A child that can demonstrate their knowledge in real life situations or a child that is a great test taker on a computer? That is for you to decide. 

Rocks in Your Shoes

 Rocks in Your Shoes

It is easy to get caught up in the mess of life and all of the curve balls thrown into the mix. I often describe challenging times in my life to feel as if I am swimming upstream or like a fish out of water. 

Have you ever been there? 

Life's burdens seem like too much to handle.

The efforts made begin feeling pointless. 

Recently I listened to the song "Rocks in Your Shoes" by Emily West. After listening, I reflected upon the current rocks in my shoes. The heaviest rock that I feel within my shoes currently is the stress levels of the people around me. It seems as if everywhere I turn someone is talking about a highly stressful situation in their life, both personally and professionally.  

I have been known to wear others stress on my shoulders. Hearing the pain in their voice, seeing the stress visibly and the tendency to be a natural helper (or fixer) are a few things that lead me into owning other peoples stress. This became very exhausting. I realized I was loosing sleep, feeling run down and at times sad. Not sad in the way of depression, just sad to recognize the stress levels in others and know that I cannot take it away. 

That was the turning point for me. The moment I realized that I cannot take away others stress was the moment of freedom. These heavy rocks in my shoes (others stress) continue to surround me. They will  not go away. However, I needed to recognize that I cannot control how others manage stressful situations or remove stress from their lives. I can control how I react to their stress. I can also control how I listen to what they are sharing. 

Listening to others does not mean that I can take their stress away. It also does not need to consume my life to the point of fatigue. One way that I do this is by writing myself a note about the situations shared with me that are weighing me down. I do this by writing on a post it note or adding a quick note to an app in my phone.

If I begin to worry about someone or something, which typically happens at night, I will review my list and begin to pray. Praying has turned worrying into something productive. This has allowed me to recognize that I cannot remove the 'Rocks in My Shoes.' However, I can live with them. Understanding what is within my control and what is out of my control has had a positive impact on the stress I encounter within my day. 

The end result, I am not carrying the weight of others situations on me in an unhealthy way. I have recognized that people trust me enough to share stressful situations. I do not have to own them. Instead, I can do something productive with the rock in my shoes. Praying about the situations has more purpose, is less stressful and turns my stress/worry into a place of peace. In the past, I would wake up around 2 am and replay the situations that are eating me alive. Now, I wake up and pray about the notes I made. I bring those burdens to God and allow His work to be done. By doing this, I am placing all of my trust in His plan. This decreases my worry and increases my mental health. 

Since implementing this strategy, I feel less weighed down, I sleep better and I can enjoy other things life has to offer by being in the moment. 

I notice by simply saying things like: "That seems stressful." or  "I see how it is impacting you. Please take care of yourself, you are worth it." or  "I will pray for you." it takes away the natural instinct of wanting to fix the situation or offer solutions.

We all have rocks in our shoes. They come and  they go. Some are heavier than others. Some stay for long periods of time and others disappear quickly. The impact on our lives also vary. Knowing that we cannot remove rocks from our lives completely and that some days it will feel like we are swimming upstream can help us refocus. When we refocus it allows us to plan our reaction to the curve balls that come our way. 

The Twelve Days of Parenting

Saint Francis Area Schools Parenting Education Classes Presents:

The Twelve Days of Parenting 

On the first day of Parenting

My children game to me

A house that does not stay clean

On the second day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Two sticky hand

And a house that does not stay clean

On the third day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the fourth day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Four missing cookies

Three random sock

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the fifth day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the sixth day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the seventh day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Seven loads of laundry

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the eighth day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Eight gifts a wrapping

Seven loads of laundry

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the ninth day of Parenting

My children gave to me

Nine toddlers dancing

Eight gifts a wrapping

Seven loads of laundry 

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the tenth day of Parenting 

My children gave to me

Ten sugar crashes

Nine toddlers dancing

Eight gifts a wrapping

Seven loads of laundry 

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the 11th day of Parenting

My children gave to me

11 sleepless nights

Ten sugar crashes

Nine toddlers dancing

Eight gifts a wrapping

Seven loads of laundry 

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

On the 12th day of Parenting

My children gave to me

12 cups of coffee

Eleven sleepless nights

Ten sugar crashes 

Nine toddlers dancing

Eight gifts a wrapping 

Seven loads of laundry 

Six toilets flushing

Five hour tantrum (five hour tantrum)

Four missing cookies

Three random socks

Two sticky hands

And a house that does not stay clean

And a house that does not stay clean

Parents of SFAS added a verse each class session throughout December. 

The combined efforts of multiple class created this remake to spark laughter, share the joys and stresses of parenting during the holidays while also creating community between the different class sessions offered through Early Childhood Family Education. 

I want to thank each of the parents for participating in this fun activity as we enter winter break. My you all be reminded of Self-Care and 20 Things to Do with Your Children in Winter.   

If your family or group of friends decides they would like to get together and sing The Twelve Days of Parenting please share a video clip with us so we can enjoy. 

If you were a part of creating this song and would like to share a comment below about your experience in this project I would love to hear from you. 

Enjoy this season of parenting. As we know the days can be long but the years are oh so very short. You really only have one day, make it a good one! 

Melissa 

Blessings in Trial

 

We are not promised a life without challenges but we are promised we are not alone. 

Deuteronomy 31:6 states "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you." 

In moments of trail and challenges I can reflect on the promise above and bring myself to believe there is a lesson in the valley. Laura Story wrote her song Blessings after almost loosing her husband to a brain tumor. She speaks about healing coming through tears. Laura expresses thousands of sleepless nights might be what it takes to know that He is near. 

When life throws me a curve ball, I am able to listen to this song and refocus. The song Blessings is a reminder that it might not be until after the storm that I am able to see the flowers bloom. In this world we are often provided the test before the lesson. 

Does this make the lessons any easier? I don't think so. 

Hard is hard. 

Sad is sad. 

Scary is scary. 

Feelings are feelings. 

However, knowing that we are not alone can provide hope. Understanding that a blessing might not appear until after the storm allows us to reflect and be aware there is a light at the end of a dark moment.

Personally, I have enjoyed Laura Story. Her words are a source of comfort while directing me back to The Lord. Recently I was able to finish her Blessings Daily Devotional. If you are feeling lost in the struggle of life or have taken one too many hits recently and the other side of these struggle seem far away I encourage you to check out Laura's Devotional. Perhaps you might find a blessing in your raindrops. 

If you have taken the time to listen to her song or check out her devotional I would love to hear what your thoughts are in the comments below. 

I hope you know that I am here for you. 

You are not alone. 

Life gives the lesson before the test. 

Blessings are found after the storm. 

You are only provided one today, make the best of it. 

November: A Time for Reflection

 As we end the month of October and move into November the first thought that comes to my mind is giving thanks. We all know someone that states something they are thankful for each day of November or writes notes of gratitude each day and reads them or posts them on Thanksgiving day. 

I ponder if I should be a person that does that. Each day write a little note of gratitude and reflect upon them at a later date. I know I would for sure start with air in my lungs, without that do we really have anything? I would include God as my rock and my foundation. Of course family and friends would be at the top of my list along with a roof over my head and food on our table. 

It is fairly easy for me to wake up and be in awe of the sunrise. The portrait that is new every single day continues to amaze me and many times leaves me speechless. I enjoy each new day, praise God for granting me one more day on earth and consider how I can make a difference. We really only have one "today" and it is my job to Keep my Day (as Willow Sweeny would preach). 

I recognize that I am not wonderful at starting a month long task and sticking to it. In this regard, I don't believe it would be beneficial for me to write my praises each day and reflect at the end of November. Instead, I can sum most of what I am thankful for in the image below. Everyday that I wake up I feel grateful for the time I get to spend with people that I love is an extremely precious day. I am a people person. I want to be with my family and friends. I am content sitting at home enjoying my family. I love that our door is always open and people just stop by unannounced but furthermore I am grateful that they feel comfortable stopping by. In my career I am able to connect with families in our community and not only get to know them on a daily basis but for years to come. This connection is something that fills my spirit and keeps me going. People, I can be grateful for people. 

Each day we wake up is a blessing. 

Each day we are able to spend time with those we love is a day to be cherished. 

November is a time for reflection. A time to reflect upon how we spend our time and who we choose to spend our time with. Making the time for the people that are important is up to you is a choice. Tomorrow is not promised, but today is! What will you do with your day and more importantly who will you spend your day with?

Time is a Thief

It was a normal Wednesday morning, October 13, 2021.

I woke up around 5 am to enjoy a few hours to myself before anyone in the house decided to wake up. I went to the kitchen, grabbed a cup of for my coffee, placed my coffee in the cup and used my new favorite item in the kitchen, the Insta-Hot (if you do not have instant hot water at your sink you have no idea what you are missing!) to fill my cup with hot water. 

Just like any other day I picked up my cup of coffee and walked over to the refrigerator. That is when it happened. I noticed a blank spot on the fridge. I froze! Immediately froze. What was missing? I am not sure about you but if I hang a paper on the fridge it typically means picture day is coming up, I need to return a permission slip or something of that nature. A paper that needs to be there and returned by a specific date. Of course I have a few photos. I keep a couple of bible verses visible so each time the boys want a snack they can read them and possibly use them in their day to day life. What was missing? I didn't know what was missing in the moment but I knew I hadn't stared at a blank spot in a really long time. 

For a moment I racked my brain trying to think of what hung on the two little bug magnets.

Then it hit me, like a rock. It hit me hard! I mean it hit me so hard it took my breath away and I almost dropped my coffee cup. That is how hard it literally hit me. Do you know what was missing? A paper I stared at from October 12, 2020 all the way until October 12, 2021. A normal 8 x 10 sheet of white paper with lines on it. A drivers log. A drivers log for my oldest son. A simple piece of paper that we write down the hours he practiced driving with an adult. Gone! 365 days of looking at the same paper and filling out a log of drive time. I wake up one morning and it is missing, gone, no longer exists. My heart stopped, I lost my breath and I almost dropped my coffee. I stood there motionless. My brain started racing with thoughts. It was like the last 365 days just ran through my head or if you can imagine someone with an open book fanning the pages, that is what my head felt like. The thoughts, so many thoughts. 

I thought about the last 365 days that my oldest son hopped in the drivers seat and we practiced driving. In the beginning he was nervous, so nervous. That was not something I had anticipated. He always seemed to confident in driving anything and from a young age. Thinking back to October of 2020, we started with short, familiar trips. Then to the present, October 12, 2021, the day of his drivers test had me stop dead in my tracks. 

This paper not only represent the hours of practice but it also represented the hours of time together bonding and learning about life. Don't get me wrong it wasn't all peaches and cream. There were moments I grabbed the 'Oh Shit Handle.' Other moments were we talked about things that didn't matter while yet many times we discussed life and what to do in certain situations. Car conversations are oftentimes the moments when the world is still and bonding takes place. This paper represented more than a few hours of driving practice and now it is gone! 

I finally picked my mind and body. Placed some cream in my coffee and started my morning. My heart felt different. The Mom in me was so proud he passed his test and also sad. Sad to let go of another part of my oldest. As I sat and reflected on the past 16 years of his life there were many transitions that took place. Some of them were obvious like starting school and others less obvious like why isn't he crawling in bed with us anymore. 

As parents, we can prep ourselves for some transitions and others hit us like a rock. The truth is this transition was both. I knew he was going to turn 16 and pass his drivers test at some point. In his case, he passed the first time and on his birthday. Okay, we got this! This is an expected transition, right?

Wrong! I wake up the next day to a drivers log missing and pretty much lost my mind. All of the memories we had made during the past year driving together are over? Just like that, done! 

Poof, he is driving, it's over. Then my mind goes crazy. Spaghetti brain is what my husband calls, maybe you know about this? It is when your brain rambles off all kinds of things in that don't make sense and you ask questions that you don't wait for the answer to and barley breathe between all the questions you have. It might sound like a crazy person but he is use to it. If you are unfamiliar this is what it sounds like:  Did we talk enough in the past year while driving? Is he ready to go on his own? Just yesterday he had questions before his test and now here are some keys bye have fun?! Is that how it works? What happens when he gets his first flat tire? Who will he call if there is an accident? Will he speed? Am I in charge of who enters his vehicle? Do the other parents know he is a new driver? Will he know to show his proof of insurance if he needs it? Does he realize he can't be on his phone? What if he decides to have too many kids in the car with him? Will he know what to do when the roads are icy? What about that stupid left turn on Hwy 65 that even adults can't figure out? The list goes on and on and on. 

As I sat there reflecting upon the past year my son walks upstairs. He takes a shower, eats his breakfast and has the biggest smile on his face that I have ever seen. He grabs his keys and drives himself to school. WHAT? Just 11 years ago, I walked him to the bus stop for kindergarten and now in October of 2021 he walks out the door with keys and drives himself to school. How can this be? 

I didn't loose it, I didn't cry. For those of you that know me you are shocked, I know. I am a crier. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I am an open book and what you see is what you get, typically. Not today. Today I froze, again! I literally was in a state of shock. I froze, at least physically. In my head I was thinking, did that just happen? How did we get here? What does this mean? Spaghetti brain kicked in again and the questions were endless.

What this means folks is that I blinked! I blinked too many times. I need to stop blinking. 

Time slips through the cracks of your fingers and you don't even realize it. 

You have no idea that it's the last driving practice you will have because you are so focused on ensuring he is ready for his test. 

You don't realize that three Friday's ago was the last time he was going to ask for a ride to the football game. 

It hits you again and again. The blows just keep coming and you aren't expecting a single one of them.

Last night he walked up the steps and said "okay I am heading to the football game." What?! You don't need me to drive you and pick you up. Oh, and you are going to pick up a friend. Do their parents know? Should I call them? Is he going to be safe with a friend in the car? What is happening to my life!?  Spaghetti brain! None of these questions actually come out of my mouth but I am thinking them, inside. Instead I sit with a rock in my stomach and a tear behind my eye that I won't let go and say this: "Have fun and be safe. Wake me up when you get home." 

UGH! Why? Why is time a thief?! 

Here are just some of my take away moments from the past week: 

The days can be long but the years are short. 

It is my job to be a taxi, every single day that my kids need me. I will drive. 

I will cherish the moments my oldest gets into my car again, every single time.

I won't hold them back. This is the best years of their life. I need to keep my feelings inside. 

Enjoy the sleepless nights when they are under my roof. Sleepless nights when they are out and about are SO much harder. 

Trust! Trust that I have made and impact and he can hear my voice in his head when making decisions. 

Don't waste the moments in the drop off line at a Friday night football game when you can roll down your window and yell "Hugs not Drugs, We love you, have fun!" I promise he will remember this when he has kids. 

To be open and honest with my kids AND allow my kid to be open and honest with us. 

Even when it is hard. They will make mistakes and I will be there for them. I will make mistakes and I hope they will be understanding as well. 

Remember that my parenting is not perfect and neither are my children. 

Last but certainly not least, 

                                             Don't Blink! 

Time is a thief! 

                 

                 

Am I an Artist?

 

I haven't ever thought of my self as an artist in the sense of extravagant paintings or drawings. In fact, art has not been on my radar. When I try to draw something I typically find a great step by step visual to refer to and even then the proportions are off and the drawing is not to scale. I can create and excellent dog using these steps but in real life the dogs head would be so large it would never be able to walk. HA! Give it a try and see how you do. 

Is that what an artist is? Creating a master drawing using step by step instructions or a visual in your mind? Could it be abstract art like the photo above? Is it creating a beautiful image to hang in a business or home or is there more to art? I haven't given in much thought.  

Is teaching an art? 

                            Am I an artist? 

                                                  

                   Wow, I haven't ever thought about it, I might be! 

After looking at Saint Francis of Assisi's quote above I wanted to dive in a little deeper to each aspect that was mentioned. Let's break it down. 

Teaching with my hands. 

There are many times I am using my hands throughout my teaching day. I work with young children, parents and with my co-workers. I like to jump in wherever I am needed. I enjoy taking on new tasks and joining committees that support the families I work with. If I can lend a hand to get the job done, I typically will. I like to think that many hands make for light work, if we all do our part we can have a large impact on our community. 

Teaching with my head. 

My head is always full of thoughts and ideas. I learned one of my strengths on the Clifton Strengths Finder is Input. Input is storing of information, collecting data, resources, dates and such. Before taking the strengths finder I didn't know why I could remember all kinds of facts and details about article, conversations,  or families and children in our community. After realizing this is a strength I have been more aware of how my head can enhance relationships I make with families in our community by remembering details to make connections. It also helps me to recall information in teaching to include resources or child development milestones. 

I recognize that although I can name the information a weakness I have is recalling the exact source. A wise man once told me, a great student or teacher does not have all the answers but the ability to find answers to create new learning. I hold onto that not only as a teacher but also as a parent. If my children are not great at fill in the bubble tests, is that okay? Isn't in more important that they can own the information, find the resources they need and investigate life? When in life will a fill in the bubble test or reciting facts play a part in being a part of a team? If they join the Navy or need to collaborate with a team on a construction site is a scantron timed test going to help them? 

Using your head is a part of becoming a craftsman or an artist. Using your head leads to new thinking and learning.

Teaching with my heart! 💓

This is where my passion comes out. My heart and my passion are the center of my teaching. I get excited and energized when I am with children and parents. I wear my heart on my sleeve. When a parent is hurting, I am hurting. When a parent expresses joy and excitement I can share that with them. If a parent is in pain I feel it deep in my soul and bring that home with me. 

When a child meets a milestone I jump for joy. I share tears of joy if a child with developmental delays meets their next individual goal. I live, breathe and crave these shared experiences with parents. They are joyful, painful, exciting, frustrating, happy, sad and everything in-between. I can only hope and pray that the parents in early childhood know my heart is with them and that they can come to me at anytime with anything. 

Does this make me an artist? 

Teaching with my hands, head and heart is something I strive for on a daily basis. When I look at a painting or work of art I can often feel the emotions the artist might be trying to portray. The artist used their hands to create, their head to imagine and their hearts to express. 

When I am teaching do I do the same? I guess that is a question for the students in my parenting education classes to answer and not for me. I do hope that they see and feel my passion and my commitment to their families from day one until the end. I have told families I am there for them now and forever, I just hope they feel it in their hearts today and as they move into the K-12 schools. 

Am I an artist? I am not sure, but I am on the right track!