Symmetry

I love symmetry. I love symmetrical objects and designs. If you doubt me, take a look at my house. There’s a reason we selected to build a colonial style home. We even have matching doors on each side of our porch. There’s a sense of balance to symmetrical objects which seem to appeal to me. I appreciate balance in many aspects of life. When I think about eating the snack I know I shouldn’t consume, I think to have “just a little” in moderation. I remember training as an athlete; I would always balance my workouts and routines. In my classroom, I would look for a balance of activities and approaches. There are few areas in which balance isn’t justified.

This past week we have endured the NYS ELA Assessments. There’s been opposition to standardized testing since the concept has been used. Personally, I’m not against a standardized accountability system. As a teacher, parent, and principal, I acknowledge the merit of this process. Yet, something seems unbalanced. We teach compassion and empathy, yet I witnessed children break-down and cry while completing these exams. We understand the value of positive relationships; unfortunately, many of you probably didn’t have the chance to work on this with the children this week. We have endeavored to differentiate our instructional strategies and assessments, the state has not.

Why do we, the educators, work on these daunting tasks when the state education department is presenting a different paradigm? The answer is clear to any of us who have ever seen the light bulb beam when understanding is reached. We know how best to teach and how children learn. Our moral obligation as educators now reaches farther than striving to expand our skills with children. In this current era of education, our responsibility extends so that others understand the importance of moderation and balance. An educational philosophy is more than an idea, strategy, or approach. It’s the impetus behind the idea, strategy, and approach.

If your philosophy is incomplete, in flux, or still on the back shelf since you completed that undergraduate requirement of writing an Educational Philosophy, then I encourage you to place your thoughts about this past ELA exam into words. You, I assume, are like me. It’s not all bad, but something just doesn’t seem right about what we did to our children. It’s unbalanced, more than simply a house with only one door. More like a house with only one door…on the third floor.

I would encourage all to provide the SED the feedback that they’ve requested, in any avenue available.

Have a great weekend. Let’s get ready for another round of assessments. Yeah Math!