Hallelujah

We had our school-wide T4S (Teach for Success) sweeps today which means every teacher was observed and evaluated. We stressed and agonized over lessons, over whether or not we understand verbal scaffolding and whether or not we have all students engaged. We have to have all the little boxes checked by these strangers and then we get the golden egg: instructional time maximized. And guess what we did it! Angela, Shannon and I and a bunch of other friends all made it! Whew. It was nerve wracking but we did it and we're pretty excited so we went to Lute's and celebrated with cheeseburgers and fries and friends. Good times!
It was pretty funny too the way we found out. After school we were all standing around outside of the principal's office and we saw her in there with the vice principal and we knew they were going over our sheets so we peered in and smiled and they told us to come on it. She announced that we were her group of "over-achievers", it was great! Success.
So we can breathe - but only for a moment. 12 school days left until the AIMS test, the big standardized state test that tells us whether or not our school makes AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) and gets to get off the school improvement plan. If we don't, that means trouble, trouble in river city since we are on year four of our school improvement plan already. If we don't make AYP the powers behind No Child Left Behind will swoop down. Eeek!
But I am going to enjoy tonight and go to sleep happy since I aced yet another evaluation this year! Hooray! That and I am getting a massage tomorrow so maybe my back will stop hurting!