Russ Hunt at St. Thomas University called this song to my attention via a listserv I am on and written by Tom Chapin, brother of the late, great, Harry Chapin.
Not on the Test
Go on to sleep now, third grader of mine.
The test is tomorrow but you'll do just fine.
It's reading and math, forget all the rest.
You don't need to know what is not on the test.
Each box that you mark on each test that you take,
Remember your teachers, their jobs are at stake.
Your score is their score, but don't get all stressed.
They'd never teach anything not on the test.
The School Board is faced with no child left behind,
With rules but no funding, they´re caught in a bind.
So music and art and the things you love best
Are not in your school `cause they´re not on the test.
Sleep, sleep, and as you progress
You´ll learn there´s a lot that is not on the test.
Debate is a skill that is useful to know,
Unless you´re in Congress or talk radio,
Where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed,
'Cause rational discourse was not on the test.
Thinking's important. It's good to know how.
And someday you'll learn to but someday's not now.
Go on to sleep, now. You need your rest.
Don't think about thinking. It's not on the test.
To hear the song, visit: http://www.notonthetest.com/
When I read the lyrics and then listened to the song I wondered to myself whether or not the things I am teaching students and the methods used to assess or evaluate their learning are indeed preparing them to apply that knowledge, skills, or abilities to the world of life and work that awaits them upon graduation. I also wonder if there are things that they are learning as a result of taking my classes that are not in the syllabus that are helping to help or hurt their chances to be successful beyond graduation. Such reflections humble me to realize I must constantly evaluate the quality of my teaching for the benefit of the students beyond my classroom.
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