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Monday, November 19, 2012

I seriously finished the quilt top

Yes, the one that I blogged about cutting out about four hours ago. It's done!


I know, it is a crappy iPhone picture, but it is proof it is done. I have two suggestions:

1. If you ever thought about making a quilt Thimble Blossoms Piece of Cake 3 is all straight lines and easy blocks.


2. Serging a quilt is awesome and super fast! Check out how nice that back looks! 

Now I'm off to work on state testing. If you hate soap boxes, go ahead and quit reading while I drag mine out and dust it off. I work with severe and profoundly disabled kids in the state of Texas. First, Texas tests all children to death and is being sued by multiple districts over it. The federal government says kids have to be tested four years between third and eleventh grade. Texas tests every year in multiple subjects. Kids lose days of learning to days of testing and companies that make supplemental testing materials get big bucks.  Second, as a teacher of middle school kids, some of whom cannot recognize all the letters in the alphabet, I get to write and develop the tests myself. Plus my kids don't use pen and paper, so I have to create task driven tests. Here is the math:

1  6th grader - 2 subjects
3 7th graders - 3 subjects
4 eighth graders - 4 subjects
Each subject = 4 tests = I have 108 tests to write and get approved before January.

They are tested on things like identifying 2/4 (no, not half, 2/4). Which would be the more valuable term to know, really? HALF! That is just one of many things they are tested on that I just don't find as useful as other things. That means less learning things like their phone numbers or how to use a microwave. Gah! It is very frustrating. OK, off the box!

5 comments:

  1. Lovely quilt - love the neutral tones. Good luck with the testing.

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  2. Stacie, the quilt is beautiful.. Wow.. fast work..
    Feel sorry for you with the state testing. My daughter teaches high school history, and she is stressed beyond measure due to this stupid state testing.. So, I have been hearing how horrible it is.Teachers are not paid enough for all this.. Sending prayers to you.

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  3. Beautiful quilt. And this is why I no longer teach school - priorities are wrong all over the planet, Stacey, not just in Texas. Hardly a comforting thought! But great quilt! :)

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  4. What a lovely quilt! I think the serged seams look great. :)

    Ick, what a mess. As if there's not enough problems in public education, they have to throw that many tests at the poor kids (and teachers)? What is the point of it all?!

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