Im Torn

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

It's {not} Supposed to Be Fun

We attended our last PTO meeting for the year this week.  We went because our 4th grader was performing.  She had vaguely told us what the performance was going to be, but it didn't matter.  She was performing so we were there.

I wish we hadn't gone.

It was the typical PTO meeting...officers elected for the next year, budget presented, rah rah rah we are the best elementary school.

The children performed.  Sort of.  They chanted and danced to songs about how great they are going to do on the state-mandated testing in two weeks.

Then the counselor began her presentation...(to the most attentive parents in the school because, after all, we are the ones who showed up on a spring evening for a meeting!)...about how to get our children ready for testing.  Good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, no appointments scheduled the days of testing...got it.

But what I didn't "get', what I completely disagree with, is the fact that she opened her talk with a statement something like this: "We want your children to know that testing is fun."

Hmmm...no.

State or federally-mandated standardized testing is not fun.  Never has been.  Never will be.

Now, I'm not saying that we should make it a big deal.  I think standardized testing is, unfortunately, just a necessary evil.  We should not put additional stress on our children to perform well.  In fact, why don't we just not even mention it to the children until they walk in and the forms are on their desks??  Let's make light of it if you want.  But, it's not fun.

And that's okay.

Because life is full of things that are not "fun".  A quick run-down of things in my life that haven't been "fun"...

College admissions testing
National pharmacy licensure boards
Working for a crazy woman as a boss...who attempted to fire me simply because was 9 months pregnant
Watching my newborn son who I had only held once flying off in a jet to the NICU in a hospital 2 hours away
Burying my father

It's time that we stop blurring the lines between fantasy and reality for our children.  We need to start letting them know that all of life isn't fun...or fair...  We can do that by telling them that they are not going to enjoy taking a test.  It will NOT be fun.  But, after they finish it, we are going to reward them with a snack and extra recess.

And no homework.

Now that's fun.


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