testing blues

      The other day in S’Alqueria Blanca (at the elementary school where I teach), I asked the 6^th graders, “Why are you here?  Why are you in English class?”

      The only answer that they could come up with was, “They make us.”

      “Well, yeah, you have to be here.  English class is obligatory.  But why else?  Why do you think they make you be here?”

      One kid offered slowly, “Because… very important,”

      “Yes, very good, English is important… but why else?  Do you care if English is important?”

      Crickets.

      “What about…” I continued, “When you play video games, are they in English or Spanish?”

      “Some Spanish,” one boy piped up.

      “Yeah, but most are in English.  And what about on the internet: a lot of sites are in Spanish, but sometimes what you need is only in English.  Or what about when you go to the grocery store—is the music they’re playing in Spanish or English?”

      “Kiss FM!” one girl shouted.  (Yes, Kiss FM has reached Mallorca.  And Ke$ha is freakingly ubiquitous in every store.)

      “So, anyways, think of reasons why you have to be in English class.  And now, do you think you'll be in an English class next year, when you go to high school in Santanyí?”

      “Yes…” they said dejectedly.

      “But did you know that there are different classes?  There are normal English classes, like this one, and then there’s a program called Seccions Europees where you take a regular grammar class, and a class called Processos de Comunicació.  In Processos, you do dramas, you watch movies, you have debates, you play games, you do projects on the internet… sounds fun, right?”

      “I want this class!” one kid shouted.

      “To be in Seccions Europees, though, you have to take a test.  In two weeks, a teacher is coming from the high school to give you a test to see if you can be in the program…”

So, I encouraged them to study.  Outside of class I also teach a few private English lessons to kids in different schools, and one kid happens to be a 6^th grader at another elementary school.  I started off on the same spiel with him, and we got to the part about the Seccions Europees and he said in Spanish, “Yeah, but I can’t be in that.”

      “Why not?”

      “My teacher won’t let me,”

      “What?”

      “My teacher says I’m not smart enough to take the test,”

      “What??”

      “He divided up the class into those who are going to take it and those who aren’t, and when he told me that I wasn’t going to take it, I was happy.  He says the class is going to be really hard, and I don’t want a hard English class,”

      “Yeah, but your English is good.  You would do great in this class,” I said, dumbfounded. 

***

Following last week's rant about things that are unjust in this world, you know what else really makes me mad?  Teachers who tell their students, “You're stupid.  You're bad at English.  It's not worth my time to teach you.  Don't ask questions; I don't want any questions, I just want you to memorize what I say” (actual quotes from actual teachers—(versus, I suppose, fake teachers?) anyways, true story). There's a passel of kids who are incredibly intelligent (or, at least, moderately intelligent), who have spent their whole school careers being told that they're idiots, and the Spanish government wonders why 45% of students on the Balearic Islands drop out of school before they're 16?

English class is a fairly accurate microcosm of the rest of the kids' school experience.  The kids are restless.  They have had English since they were 3 years old, and the classes are mind-numbingly devoid of creativity.  We get to do projects every once in a while, but if we stray too far from the approved curriculum, we get behind, and then have to race to catch up and just end up doing book exercises until we’re all blue in the face.  Does it make sense that they all say, “Me no English?”

Anyways, this brings me to today’s story: “Seccions Europees” (European Sections; the only bright spot in these kids' English careers) is only for the kids with the highest English level (obviously, someone who proclaims “Me no English” will probably not be able to take part in a debate on the merits of immigration.)  In order to determine which kids can take the Seccions Europees classes, a placement test is given to the 6th graders in all of the surrounding elementary schools.  AND THERE ARE TEACHERS WHO CHERRY-PICK THE STUDENTS WHO GET TO TAKE THE TEST!  It’s like saying, “No, you can’t even APPLY to college because surely you’re not getting in.”  Me no happy!

***

I talked to my boss at the high school, who is the head of the English department, and she agreed with me that it was ridiculous to not allow all the students to at least try, so when she goes to give the test at the various elementary schools, she'll ask for all the 6^th graders to be there.  The test is going to be hard, and not very many kids are going to pass it, but so what?  At least they all are getting the chance to try.  And we may all be surprised by how well some of the “not smart enough” kids do.


(ps...)