Lauren Vancamp, Corps Member
A few months ago, I sat in the back of my third grade classroom watching my kids take their first Quarterly ELA exam. It was still an uncertain time for all of us then. I remember seeing the hands raised in the air, unsure of how I was supposed to answer questions pertaining to the exam. I remember thinking that Valerie could get the answers to the comprehension questions if only I were allowed to read the passage to her. I remember not understanding how all of the students in the classroom could break the points of their pencils simultaneously. And I remember watching Michael speed through the bubbles on his answer sheet without even glancing at the reading passages.
On a day to day basis it feels like nothing is changing, but the second Quarterly ELA exam this past week reminded me how much the students in my class have grown. Michael sat at my round table in the back of the class with his signature angry pout, remarking about the stupidity of the test. This pout face usually allows him to get away with things, but I wasn’t ready to see him rush through a test that he could do well on. I slapped a post-it note on the table in front of him. “You know how to do all of these things! Try your best and you will make me proud!” He looked up at me. Annoyed.
I left him to do his work as I wandered around the room. I didn’t avoid the tables where hands were raised this time, feeling confident in my ability to appropriately handle the questions that clearly wanted an A, B, C, or D answer. As I walked by Valerie’s desk I heard her quietly sounding out the words of the passage. It was undoubtedly a momentous effort for her, but the fact that she was able to put together more words this time around put some of my anxieties to rest. I was equipped with my best pencil sharpener in hand, ready to turn out pencils for the most accurate bubble-filling possible.
Michael was still frowning in the back of the room. As I leaned over his shoulder to see how things were coming along, I saw all of the sentences and words he underlined in the passage. After briefly skimming over it and checking the questions, my smile grew at the realization that he wasn’t frowning. He was concentrating and getting all of his comprehension questions right. He looked up at me, this time concerned. “Am I doing it good?” This was only one part of the test. It was only six questions. But it was six questions that Michael didn’t even give himself a chance to answer correctly when he took the first Quarterly exam. I hope he could read the pride on my face, and I hope that he will always remember to give himself the chance to do well!
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