REFLECTION ZONE: The Energy Bus

I have kept my Energy Bus bulletin board up as we read a rule and the students talk about what that rule could mean for them in their personal lives.  A few teachers who have stopped in my room have inquired about the bulletin board, and this has started conversations.  I am trying to keep the principles learned from this book alive for myself, at school and in my personal life.  I remember some of the quotes from this book.  The one that really keeps me going is "Too Blessed to be Stressed."  Even though I feel stressed and worry about the people that matter the most, I repeat this saying and it helps calm me a bit. I also used the quote, "The goal is not to be better than anyone else but rather be better than you were yesterday" when we prepped our students for the MAPS test last week.  We talked about not comparing your target to someone else's target or not to compare their RIT score with someone else's RIT score because they are not taking identical tests.  Each student is starting at a different spot or a different number and getting different questions, so it is foolish to compare.  Each student needs to concentrate on him/herself and meeting his/her target. While I tried to make this point clear, I also informed the students after the test as to what the 6th grade benchmark score is.  I did not do this for them to compare themselves to others, but more so they know if they are at, below, or above grade level.  Knowing this information might help a student or a parent see the greater need for their child to attend supplementary summer school in hopes to make gains.  I find myself continuing to keep the learning I gained from the book alive in my daily life.