Kristin the Tutor

I had a conversation with a friend this week who is in the midst of state testing. Her administrator had made a simple comment.

“This is where all your hard work finally shows!”

It was meant to be encouraging. It was meant to bring up spirits. It was meant to inspire her before a long week.

Instead, it did the exact opposite.

Teaching in low income schools for many years, she knows how it is going to go. She knows the way her students will struggle to read the test, written far above grade level. She knows they will struggle to comprehend stories about life experiences that their affluent peers access every day, but they never will. She knows the math concepts will be hidden in lengthy word problems that will be inaccessible for her English Learners. She knows. She feels defeated before it even starts.

I’m guessing many of you are hearing that same message this time of year. Your worth is hanging on a score.

Friend, I want to remind you, in case you haven’t heard it in a while, that this test is NOT where your hard work finally shows. This single snapshot does not define your worth as a teacher.

Do you want to know what success looks like?

It looks like students showing up every day feeling loved and secure.

It looks like a student who lights up with understanding for the first time after months and months of small group intervention.

It looks like a student who finally feels confident enough to share his thoughts and ideas with the class.

It looks like a dysregulated student choosing to take deep breaths instead of throwing a chair.

It looks like a heartfelt note from a student proclaiming that you’re their favorite teacher ever.

It looks like a squeals and laughter during a science experiment.

It looks like a defiant student finally turning in a work page for the first time ever.

It looks like an email from a parent thanking you for your hard work.

Success is in the quiet moments of the day-to-day. The moments that go unnoticed to anyone but you. The small moments that keep you going after a hard day.

This test? It’s worth a glance. It can help direct next steps. It can give you important information going forward.

But is it where your hard work finally shows?

Not even close.

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