SOL
Standards of Learning
The tests that decide what kind of a learning experience we receive the next year. If we do well, the school is allowed to have fun, the teachers are allowed to make their own lesson plans. If we don't, then the reformers come. The think of more 'creative' ways to get kids to pass their SOL's.
Student's Definition of 'Creative Learning'
Games, going outdoors, field trips, labs, meaningful creative projects, edible projects, songs...
Reformer's Definition of 'Creative Learning'
Worksheets, reading practice, slogans, campaigns with cheesy titles, encouraging posters, flashcards, cutting and pasting little definitions next to pictures, outlines...
Today, to get us pumped for SOL's, we had our annual SOL pep rally. It began with face-painted, flag bedecked students spilling into the gym to our jazz band (really good jazz band) playing
'tonight's going to be a good night, tonight's gonna be a good, good, night..." Everyone sand along.
Then, one of our drama teacher's took the microphone. Our choir sang the national anthem, but the mics weren't working, so we watched them instead of hearing them. Then the two cheer-leading teams came out. They were obviously not very well thought out as a public image; one was entirely made up of whites, and the other entirely made up of blacks. It's not like nobody noticed, either.
There was a competition with an obstacle course and SOL questions, and a tug-o-war championship. Overall, the entire thing was a bit lame. Oh, and, of course the two SOL teams ended up tying. Of course.
The SOL's aren't a big deal for students like me. We don't even really study. But for some students, the SOL's are a big deal. These students sometimes know the exact same amount as I do. The difference is: I naturally process information; for some people it's much harder.
My language arts teacher has devoted her class periods to test-taking skills instead of language arts review. Many kids have found it useful, though they would never fully admit it.
So, what do you do as a teacher? You have a student who doesn't process information very well. Do you try to use creative teaching techniques to teach this student the key information, or do you teach this student from the text book in hope that they will do well on the SOL's?
Or say you have a student who knows a lot about history. That student knows every leader of the suffragette movement, and every battle of World War II. Are you supposed to narrow that student's knowledge? Just for the SOL's? And who is to say that Susan B. Anthony is more important than Elizabeth Cady Stanton?
"Don't think outside the box," my language arts teacher tells us. "Think inside the lines when you take the SOL's."
