I do not like this PRAXIS test, I do not like it, Cara I am!

So, Dr. Seuss's birthday was on March 2nd and I have been reading many books to the kids this month in celebration of this special day! I would write this post in Dr. Seuss's style, but that would just take way too long. However, I have been saying "I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am," over and over in my head. Today I changed it to "I DO NOT like this PRAXIS test, I do not like it Cara I am!"

On a side note: our school served green eggs and ham for lunch on his birthday. It looked SO GROSS, but the kids loved it. I couldn't bring myself to eat it though.

Back to today. Well, I decided a month ago that I want to be a certified school counselor in a few different states to give me more flexibility in where I live :) In order to do that, a few of the states require teachers to take a reading, writing and math test as well as a subject area test. So, for the past month, my life has been work... and studying... work... and studying some more. Oh wait... yep. More studying.

Now, I have a history of having a love-hate relationship with standardized test (more on the hate part than the love part). I hated taking the SATs, etc. I am not a good test taker and I really felt like they were not a good measure of someone's motivation and "drive" to do well. I hate judging someone based on a socre they got on one test! It's so stupid, in my opinion! Over the years, I got average to above-average grades, but I worked DANG hard in order to get them. So, when I started studying for these Praxis tests I was determined to remain positive and give it another chance.

And, I WORKED DANG HARD!

Even though I work EVERYDAY as a school counselor, I decided to buy this expensive studying guide just to make sure I was as prepared as possible.


Only 2nd to my scriptures, it has been the most read book for me this past month.

WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP IT IS!

I took this test this morning. 120 questions. Not only was the test unbelievably detailed in facts that I've NEVER encountered in my job in the past year and a half, but out of 120 questions, only 15-20 of them were covered in this 288 page study guide. What a waste of money. What a WASTE of paper. What a waste of TIME!

UGH. It was so frustrating. Not only was this study guide a joke, but the test as well.

Whatever happened to judging someone, and hiring them, based on their personality, motivation, skills, LOVE of what they do, and DESIRE to make a difference? If I ever become an administrator, that's what I would look for. Not if they have some credential next to their name saying they passed some stupid test. All that says is that they guessed a little bit better than the person next to them.

But, wait, to become an administrator you probably have to pass some other stupid test. :)