We gave an exam today. There are about 100 students in grade 5, and for reading they are divided homogeneously - and my group is number 4 out of 5 (five being the lowest readers). I have mostly boys this time around, and a good relationship with them. We have fun and have this sort of faith in each other. I had really thought they'd do well in the exam today but they didn't.
Partly because we've built this false expectation that reading levels can change in a year. Partly because the department head changed a page without consulting, and partly because I just have low readers. Period. They had memorized the vocabulary synonyms but couldn't put it in a fill-in-the-blank type of sentence. They still couldn't figure out context clues, determine what was important, or draw a conclusion based on a fact. I always feel like I have failed my students because it was my job to get them ready. I must take some of the responsibility on myself - and I do.
In the meantime, I'll share three funny responses:
When asking "deeper level" questions about the text on talking geese, migrating, and two best friend geese - my student said.
Why does the weather get colder?
The existentialist.
Another asked:
"If they eagle caught Lucy and ate her, what would happen to the "V"?
And my favorite conintuation of the story:
The geese flew faster and faster, but the young one couldn't keep up and he bumped into the goose behind him. That goose bumped into the ones next to it. Soon all the geese bumped and bumped into each other. They were all injured and had to land and his mother came over to him and said, "What were you thinking!?"
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