Introductions to the Test Lady
Several teachers responded to my all-call for interesting "Test Lady" introductions. Here are some of the best:
Cathy Strawer, Colleen Hostetler, and Jenni Kramer are fourth grade teachers at Topeka Elementary. Here's what they did -- "We had our own ISTEP Lady come and review key prompt writing skills with the kids. She dressed wildly, with a hat, sequins, and fishnet stockings! The kids thought she was a HOOT!"
Wanting to both introduce the ISTEP Lady concept and give students a writing prompt experience, Cathy Falk and John Chowning from Levan Scott Academy (Ft. Wayne, IN) merged the two ideas. They devised the following writing prompt: Your principal has told you about a special person, the ISTEP Lady, who will be grading ISTEP Test #3. Write a story about her. Describe the ISTEP Lady. Is she tough or nice? Where does she work? Be sure to tell what the ISTEP Lady will be looking for in each student's writing.
SouthAdams Middle Schoolteacher Melissa Beitler initially discussed the role of the ISTEP scorer and the 6-Trait skills that would be expected of a sixth grade writer. Then, she had students write a specific description of the ISTEP scorer they imagined in their own minds. (Paragraph 1: appearance, personality, family; Paragraph 2: likes/dislikes; Paragraph 3: writing expectations). The final piece to the activity included students drawing the face of the ISTEP scorer onto a paper plate. Check out some of the Paper Plate Portraits and two student-written descriptions.
Great Teacher Comments:
Austin Theobald, 3rd grade teacher at Loper Elementary School, introduced his students to the Test Lady. They call her Dorothy Bridgeford. Austin asked his students to create paper plate portraits of Dorothy. He was more than pleased with the results. One child used macaroni and tortilla chips. Another student borrowed his mom's make-up! Now the portraits are hanging above the chalkboard in his classroom...waiting. Thanks, Austin, for sharing how you're getting your students ready to write for the test!
Ever since Kristina Smekens introduced the idea of a Test Lady, signs of that lady's true identity have been popping up all over. Visit the following links for more ideas about how to introduce the Test Lady.
Test Lady Sisters at Smekens Literacy Retreat
Helping Kids Envision Their Audience
