I'm choosing red as my color today since it reminds me of being a teacher. You know the drill, people always say teachers correct papers using red pens. Kids have heart attacks when they get their papers back and they're covered with red corrections. Actually, I tend to stay away from red. I think red sends bad connotations to kids. I prefer multiple colors. I really like these felt-tipped pens. Got some at Walmart at the beginning of the year - lime green, purple, fuschia, and orange. Wouldn't you rather get a paper back with lime green corrections than red? I thought so.
Anyway, I'm writing about the test, the WEST-B (B stands for Basic: Math, Reading & Writing). You know me, Miss Procrastination. I was so nervous and dreading this whole thing that I waited six months, still registered late and had to pay more. I registered late and had to choose from three testing locations: Seattle, Ellensburg, and Spokane. (If I would've registered on time, I could've gone like 10 blocks away and taken it.) Instead, I registered late, paid more, chose Seattle, and Phil got to come with me! It worked out that he could take the time off and we set out for the Emerald City Friday night. Had my own personal traveling cheerleader! I love him!!!!
We settled in at the hotel on Mercer Island. Mercer Island is a place for the rich and famous. Bill Gates lives there. You've heard of him, he practically invented the computer. He's been on Oprah. He's given millions of dollars to schools. Not my school, but still. He values education. No, we didn't see him, and no, we're definitely not rich and famous. Believe it or not, that's where we found the closest, cheapest hotel. Thank God for Travel Lodge! I checked behind the headboard for bedbug residue and searched all over for holes with hidden cameras, (I watch too much Dateline and know what to look for) didn't see any, and didn't sleep well despite the fact.
The alarm went off at 5:45 and I jumped out of bed, quoting formulas to myself for finding the area of a triangle and trapezoid as I hit the shower. We got ready & left looking for a McDonald's. Usually I'm not a big McDonald's fan except when it comes to breakfast. There's just nothing like a hot, fresh, sausage biscuit and an OJ. Found one. They were without power. Stomach starts to knot up. Drove around for 15 minutes. More knots. I'm thinking I'm going to get sick if I don't eat something soon. Moved on to Jack in the Box. They had sausage bisuits. Got a bottle of water for brain boosts, and went to the school.
It was crazy. You'd think we were all fugitives the way they had to check our ID's and tickets and make sure we really were who we said we were. Here we were, the future teachers in the state of Washington, ready to spend the next 4 1/2 hours computing, and writing, and determining what detail should be left out in a given paragraph, and they want us to sign our lives away. We had to write this statement on our answer sheet: "I verify that I am the said person who has registered to take this test." (OK, maybe that's not it exactly, but you get the idea.) I felt like I was back in 4th grade during standardized testing week. The proctor, a newbie, who couldn't read that well, read us all the directions. "Make sure to completely fill in the bubbles. Don't mark outside the bubbles. When you finish with one subtest, move on to the next one. You are allowed to have water bottles, but you must remove and throw away the labels. You may take a restroom break, but please raise your hand and wait to be dismissed. Don't forget to take the hall pass and remember not to talk to each other in the restroom." Geez. It might as well have been Alcatrez.
The tests finally were handed out and we had 4 1/2 hours to work. Didn't matter how many of the subtests you were taking, you still had 4 1/2 hours. I started with writing because I wanted to see what the two writing prompts were. I figured it would be the hardest and most time consuming, and I was right. I had to write one essay about the characteristics of an effective leader. That one was pretty easy once I got going. The other one was a little more challenging. "Should schools allow corporate advertising to provide additional funding?" Left that one for a while and came back to it later. I think I formulated enough of a response by telling them how Pepsi gives away scoreboards in exchange for concession stands selling Pepsi products only to at least get a 3. 4 is as high as you can get.
The rest of the test went ok. Parts of it were really easy and parts were making my brain crinkle up inside. Seriously, I'll never teach 4th graders the relationship between x and y on a coordinate plane where x increases by 2 and y increases by 1 (or at least that's what I chose as my answer). Nor will they ever need to know that Edgar Allen Poe's death is still a mystery (I know I got that one right, the answer was right in the story). Still, these are the basic skills that the state of Washington thinks all teachers need to have. I used every last second of that 4 1/2 hours too. I really needed a restroom break, but didn't want to take the chance of not finishing something. I spent a lot of time on the essays and there were so many stories on the reading test that I had to speed through the math. I wrote until she said, "The test is now over. Put your pencils down. If you continue writing you may jeopardize the results of your test." I listened, like a good girl, and stopped writing.
So now I wait. I wait for a hopeful score of at least 240 to show up in my mailbox. That means I'm done with the WEST-B and I can move on with the WEST-E (E stands for Endorsement). I've already got the huge Kaplan study guide so I can be an endorsed Elementary teacher. Once that's passed, then I can stinkin' use whatever color of pen I want to do my grading with, be it red or lime green. It won't really matter, because then I'll have my license.
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