Hero Awards

Yesterday I gave my fourth graders hero awards. They were on day four out of nine of annual standardized testing. The previous day had been particularly grueling, with six different reading selections and questions. The students in my group, some of whom fit the profile for FASD, were overwhelmed.

I'd tried to encourage them as they slumped down in their seats. One finally motioned me over. “This just doesn’t make sense!” She pointed to a metaphorical line of poetry. In our reading group we’d talked about how words can have different meanings. I’d led them through the verse book LOVE THAT DOG. They’d responded to the rhythm and rhyme and gleefully wrote poems of their own. But faced with this stressful testing situation, their pride, their enjoyment, and everything they knew flew out the window.

I lay awake last night, knowing how damaging the test was to their feelings of worth, trying to find ways to turn it into something positive. That’s when I decided on hero medals. These students would face enormous challenges in their lives. I decided to tell them stories of people who’d dealt with obstacles and let them know that they could be heroes, too. The secret was to always do their best. 

The next day, despite tears from an interpersonal drama that unfolded in the hall before the test, a feeling of camaraderie enveloped the room. I told them the tests were made to challenge even the top students in their class, not to worry if some of the questions seemed too hard. They should find the ones that were at their level, concentrate on those, and do the best they could with the others. They put on their hero medals and set to work.  “I love my award,” said the girl who’d initially thrown hers on the floor. “I can show my mom.” On the back I wrote, "She tried hard and never gave up. 2013 Testing."

These students are heroes. Every day they face work that’s beyond their grasp. They think concretely, not abstractly. They don’t remember. School expects them to measure up to standards they can never achieve. The students are aware of the gap. Our job should be to find ways to make their school experience positive and helpful. Their lives hang in the balance.

So much depends

Upon the state test.

So variably approached,

So ruthlessly applied.