The High-Five Accountability System

Good Monday Morning!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

First, I want to start out on a soapbox and I want everyone to know where I stand in regards to Standardized Testing. Our 4th graders are about to take the first writing test of their lives. Then, in 3 short weeks our 3rd graders and 4th graders will be tested on probably one of the most rigorous math tests an 8, 9, or 10 year old has ever seen. These tests are by no means easy. They are hard and they are tricky for us as teachers to navigate at times. While I do believe that our students should know the state standards to the depth required by STAAR, I am a firm believer that one's academic ability cannot be determined in one day by a 4 hour test.

I wish the state could determine our school's accountability by taking a walk down our halls and seeing:

A kindergarten teacher hug and console a crying student who's mother failed to keep a promise to him for the 100th time this year.

A title assistant that loves even the most difficult of children even when he doesn't love himself.

A PE teacher that gets down on one knee to give a hug and high five to a student that had a good day.

A Music teacher that stays late, preps early, and ensures each child develops a love of music.

A 3rd grade teacher that stays late with a student to keep her safe in her classroom away from harm.

A 4th grade teacher that I have to beg to send discipline issues to me instead of dealing with them in her room because she doesn't want him to miss instruction.

A counselor that I have to tell to lock her door because she can't say no to a student in need of her time.

A 1st grade teacher in tears because she works so hard with a difficult student and some days the bag of tricks doesn't work.

A resource teacher that always smiles and never complains even when her case-load doubles within two weeks.

A nurse that cares for 4 diabetic children like her own children and changes more Code 1 and Code 2's than anyone wants to know.

A secretary and attendance clerk that sometimes put out fires simultaneously! With a smile!

A 2nd grade teacher that teaches her student even when she is walking them down to the office because her parents are late to pick her up again.

A PTO mom that jumps in to help on a snow day and soothe panicked parents over the phone.

A 4th grade teacher that tries to sneak back early from a medical release because she misses her class! :)

A computer teacher that works harder than anyone I've ever met and offers to do double duty in the cafeteria without me even asking!
An amazing community that comes out to support our school late on a school night.

A staff committed to fostering a love of learning in our students.

I wish the state could count the tears shed for your students, the smiles, the high-fives, the hugs.

I wish they'd bubble the number of times you shout for joy when a struggling reader takes off reading, or a student finally remembers to carry the 1.

I wish the legislators would come teach a day in our schools and realize the HEART and GRIT you must possess to do the jobs you do.

We have to prepare our students to perform and do well, but at the end of the day, if you LOVE them that is all that matters.

We will get them there. It will not be easy and it will take hard work.

We CAN do this!



THANK YOU ALL!!!!!
Love,
Mrs. Hanson



>>>End of Soapbox!<<<

Can We Stop Having to Like Everything?

The other day my husband and I had a conversation about whether a 10-year old should have an Instagram account. To be honest, I don't know the answer to this question. I think the topic of social media sparks huge debate especially in my area of early childhood because I see students before they hit their "Like" buttons.

As new parents, most of us have adapted to the world of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. and think of our social media pages as an extension of ourselves. Our children have grown up on social media. We snap pictures of them from the time they enter this world and we can't stop....

We love our kids and we want to share it with the world. We love when people "Like" our photos and I hear conversations about how many "likes" someone has received for posting this or that.

So think about it...

Are we building a generation that has to have approval for themselves through how many "likes" they get?

Are our adolescents and teens calculating their self-worth in how many "LIKES" they receive?

It's painful to think about.

I hope one day I can show my girls that, yes there is an appropriate time and place for social media. But your "AWESOMENESS" is not tallied in the amount of times someone clicks a "like" button on their iPhone. But rather, sweet angel, your "AWESOMENESS" is calculated by how well you like yourself.

#lovethelearning
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@jessahanson