Old school

When you spend six and a half hours in another person's classroom, you start to get an idea about that individual. Testing usually puts me in a position to learn this way. Today, I gave the summer administration of the TAKS exit level test. This is the phased-out test, so everyone there with me today was trying to fulfill what is probably the last requirement for a high school diploma. It's the old-school test, and I administered it in a 76-year-old building. 

In addition to the old-school test inside of an actually old school, the classroom I used featured an old style overhead projector. I know very few people in my line of work who still use those. This teacher whose space I occupied today was probably one of the last holdouts. I don't know anyone working in a computer lab who chooses an overhead projector over an in-focus style data projector. Everything about this computer lab seemed backwards to me. The rows were too close together, the machines were dirty, and the teacher workstation was clearly used by a Luddite. I haven't seen an "Ask" toolbar on a browser in forever, and most people in labs have more than one browser installed. Internet Explorer- ugh. 

If I got myself placed into that classroom permanently, I'd think I was being punished. 

It was fine for today's purposes, though. I just needed ten machines to run ten tests. 

It's got to be supremely frustrating to these test takers, though. The session began at 10:30, and the last one was out the door at five. They all need this last piece of the diploma puzzle, and they tried their best. 

In keeping with the old-school theme, the oldest person in the room taking the test was actually completing the TAAS test. That was phased out starting in 2002. That woman taking a test for a high school diploma was 28 years old. She will be 29 in September. Man, I hope she gets it. 

I'm back tomorrow, probably giving people a math test that I would fail if I tried it this long after my last math class. Again, I hope they all get it. It's got to really stink taking the old-school test when you're too old for school.