Stuff Students Say: April Edition

How is it May? HOW?! Can I take five seconds to do a pro-Calvin rant? Calvin Christian uses NWEA MAP testing to gauge student growth and find areas of strength and weakness in our kids. We test three times a year: September, December, and May. We set growth goals based on those scores and use the data all the time to differentiate. Here's the thing though: last year? Using the same testing system? I was completely toast. At this point last year, I had the pressure of my paycheck, my students' livelihoods, the reputation of my teaching, and even my job security riding on how my kids performed on those spring tests. This year? No frantic April meltdowns on my part (or my kids!) as we got ready for this test. Why? Well, we believe that our school is a partner with the parents in raising kids, and that we use data to do our best to help...guess who...kids! What a novel idea! Not to rank schools, evaluate teachers, or kill-and-drill my 7-year-olds to kingdom come, but to get a truer and better understanding of each kid's individual brain, created by God and meant to give glory to God through growth, achieving goals, and discovering this world. So yes, MAP testing begins next week in second grade. But nope, I'm not panicking. The crazy thing? With this kind of atmosphere, with less emphasis on a number to define kids, with an understanding that kids are whole, multifaceted people, that's when students perform BETTER on said tests! It makes me smile and it makes me thankful to be teaching in an atmosphere like that. Anyway, here are some great things my kids said in the month of April.

Hmm. Rosa Parks was very ordinary. Or at least ordinary-ish. The only part that wasn't ordinary was that she stood up for her freedom! So you can just be ordinary like me and still change a lot of things! 
(Cue silent tears in my eyes as I get all choked up full of all the teacher feelings.)

Me: Hey buddy. I've noticed you're kind of distracted this morning. Are you okay?
Student: I woke up at 6:59 and that's why my brain isn't quite working yet. It will maybe kick in soon. 

Can you turn me into Barack Obama? 

Hey! I'm wearing a BRA today! And it's also pink! 

(On a field trip in Chicago)
Okay I thought I just saw the Statue of Liberty for a second! We're in Chicago but for a second it felt like New York! 

Me: I like your outfit today!
Student: I get outfit ideas on Pinterest. I have a Pinterest of my own with over 500 pins!

I wish we had a big wooden wardrobe at Calvin so I could go to Narnia whenever I wanted.
(Me too, kid. Me too.)

Calvin school is the best because you get to make piñatas!