Keep it in Perspective – sometimes, I need reminding too!

Yesterday had its ups and downs. There was laughter, but there were also tears. You see, standardized testing has entered the house. (Queue the dramatic music, please.)

Two of our kids have wrapped up their testing, and two began the testing process. Part of me was wishing I had started them first. (Those two shall remain nameless.)

After watching one of our kids fill in answer after answer incorrectly (when I know VERY well said child knows the meaning of the word), I was practically in tears. My frustration was mounting, my feelings of inadequacy were rearing their ugly heads, and I ran to the bathroom to hide and text a friend to bemoan my many ‘lacks’ in parenting/teaching, and ask for prayers and encouragement.

Ironically, she sent me a link to a few of my past posts (I love her to death -grins). Again – I know I’ve mentioned it before, but so much of what I write here is often something that I personally need to hear – and hear repeatedly as the case was yesterday.

All year long I’ve been working with our kids day in and day out and KNOW what they have been learning and what they are capable of doing. Watching answers be filled in incorrectly makes me just want to put my head down on the table and cry – because I know what is inside that little head and what that child can do, and truthfully, I worry that it is a reflection on ME and my teaching abilities.

(Take a deep breath with me, okay?)

We have a SLEW of other work from our year that says other than what this little snapshot of our year might say.

Keep your perspective, momma.

Standardized testing is simply a tool to assess your child’s progress. This isn’t a pass or fail test. For our family it has been a way to also look at the homeschool goals that we set at the beginning of the year and compare how those areas match up with what they were tested on. There have been years where one child has struggled in certain areas, and then the next year that child improved remarkably.

Some kids don’t do great with testing. We have one that breezes through it. We have a few that get nervous, forget any and all reason, tense up, and start doing crazy stacked upon crazy.

We had to take a little chunk of time to sit back, relax, and remind each other of a few things.

• It is ONLY a test – do your best, but don’t worry about it! Just try!
• Slow down and think it through. If you aren’t sure, stop, think, and make a reasonable guess.
• Watch the attitude (and this goes so much for mom too). Encourage, don’t moan.
• Set small goals and celebrate when those goals are met. Taking periodic breaks when 3 sections are completed, etc… can be a huge help. We’ll be celebrating with an ice cream party and some Wii time when all is done!

For those of you that don’t have to walk the standardized testing route with us (I may be a wee bit jealous), but could we ask for prayers? They would be much appreciated.

And as a reminder for all of you (don’t forget, I’m speaking to myself as much as I am to you all!) – standardized testing is only a ‘snapshot’ of the progress your child is making. There is so much more to your school year than what is summed up in a few pages of a test!

So to all of you – hang in there. Keep pressing on. Be patient and just encourage your kids as you navigate the testing. I’m praying for you (and others are too). You CAN do this thing called homeschooling, and you will ROCK it. 

Remember, you know your child best and a few questions on a test are not the sum-up of his or her knowledge. They may provide some insight into areas that may require a little more focus in the upcoming months, but they are not the core of who your child is – or who you are as a teacher.

If you need encouragement today – just ask! You aren’t alone – I promise!

If you’d like to learn more on standardized testing, read How to Navigate Homeschool Standardized Testing for more info.