Progress?

As educational gains are being measured by standardized tests more and more, it gets harder and harder to find measurable gains elsewhere. I have stated clearly and often that I put the connections I make with my students first, academics second. The students I work with have documented emotional disabilities and lack age-appropriate social skills. I believe it is pivotal to focus on teaching and modeling how to positively interact with adults and students. If my students do not feel safe and cared for in the classroom they will not be able to progress academically.

That being said, it is a struggle everyday to maintain connections as both a disciplinary figure and a role model, all while being responsible for delivering instruction. I pride myself in being able to strike a very effective balance of the 3, but admit shortcomings in all 3 as well.

All of this is leading up to an awesome breakthrough a student had the other day. To some, it may seem simple. Trivial. It is admittedly not a spectacular task in and of itself, but it is something this student couldn't do less than a year ago.

My students enjoy playing card games. UNO, skipbo, war, and they especially like a game named "phase10". It is a game that has 10 steps (phases) with a different collection of cards needed each round. Last year my student attempted to play phase10. She could not grasp the rules and quickly got frustrated when dealt shitty cards or left behind a round. She desperately wanted to play, but it was a constant inner battle to focus on learning how to play and quelling her building escalation. Over time she slowly learned how to play, requiring less and less guidance, but her emotions remained, causing the same setbacks.

Yesterday she successfully completed a full game with me. Smiling the whole time, talking and taking some verbal banter, appropriately and effortlessly. And in this game, I found measurable gains. I found indisputable proof that she has made progress, that what we are doing is positively affecting my most important objective; that students will be able to build meaningful social relationships and manage them with appropriate social strategies. She's not perfect by any means. But she's making progress. Unfortunately, MCAS will most likely not pick up on that.