I ran into a former student at the office supply store the other day. She greeted me with her sweet smile and let me know that she remembers her fourth grade year and me fondly. She also let me know that she is graduating as a dental hygienist soon and will be looking for a job in her field. I was not surprised. I remember her as a serious student, diligent, hard working and conscientious - all the qualities that I knew would allow her to succeed in school and in life. On top of that she was kind, well-mannered and always wore a smile on her face.
"Jesse" was my student ten years ago while we still offered transitional bilingual services to our students that came from Spanish speaking homes. The goal of a transitional program was to strengthen a student's English proficiency enough so that they could transition to a monolingual classroom. It was a remedial model that looked at students' multiple languages as a handicap and not an asset. That year "Jesse" failed the Texas's State mandated reading test in English, which meant she was not eligible to exit the bilingual program. I knew that the test was not an indication of her English proficiency, her strength as a student or her academic abilities. She was ten years old, inexperienced in test-taking and tended to over-think her answers. When her mother asked me whether she could take her out of the bilingual program anyway and have her attend the same elementary school as her younger siblings, I said: Of course! In fifth grade, she did not pass the reading test again, and had to go through the ordeal of taking the test a second time. I heard about it because I was questioned about my decision to let her leave the bilingual program. I don't know if those questioning me were more concerned about "Jesse's" academic progress or the passing rate of their school.
I have more stories of students that were reduced to a number or a score, or worse yet, to labels such as "low", "SPED" or "at risk", who turned out to be just fine. The instruments we use to measure them are not infallible or perfect. Often they are biased, especially when it comes to students whose brain manages multiple languages and their knowledge is spread across those languages. So they cannot be used to predict the future of the children who are trusted to our care. Teachers are not fortune-tellers, they are fortune-makers. They believe students into believing themselves capable. They see strengths buried like a seed and nurture them to become the trees they are meant to be. Most teachers, especially those that teach little ones, don't ever see the results of their hard work. That's why it's so gratifying to run into old students and see how well they have fared and how they have become more than the story of a failed test back when they were ten years old.
"Jesse" was my student ten years ago while we still offered transitional bilingual services to our students that came from Spanish speaking homes. The goal of a transitional program was to strengthen a student's English proficiency enough so that they could transition to a monolingual classroom. It was a remedial model that looked at students' multiple languages as a handicap and not an asset. That year "Jesse" failed the Texas's State mandated reading test in English, which meant she was not eligible to exit the bilingual program. I knew that the test was not an indication of her English proficiency, her strength as a student or her academic abilities. She was ten years old, inexperienced in test-taking and tended to over-think her answers. When her mother asked me whether she could take her out of the bilingual program anyway and have her attend the same elementary school as her younger siblings, I said: Of course! In fifth grade, she did not pass the reading test again, and had to go through the ordeal of taking the test a second time. I heard about it because I was questioned about my decision to let her leave the bilingual program. I don't know if those questioning me were more concerned about "Jesse's" academic progress or the passing rate of their school.
I have more stories of students that were reduced to a number or a score, or worse yet, to labels such as "low", "SPED" or "at risk", who turned out to be just fine. The instruments we use to measure them are not infallible or perfect. Often they are biased, especially when it comes to students whose brain manages multiple languages and their knowledge is spread across those languages. So they cannot be used to predict the future of the children who are trusted to our care. Teachers are not fortune-tellers, they are fortune-makers. They believe students into believing themselves capable. They see strengths buried like a seed and nurture them to become the trees they are meant to be. Most teachers, especially those that teach little ones, don't ever see the results of their hard work. That's why it's so gratifying to run into old students and see how well they have fared and how they have become more than the story of a failed test back when they were ten years old.
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