After You Finish the Test

I didn't hate standardized tests when I was a kid. I was a decent test-taker and I generally didn't care about how I did. However, I loved what followed the test: sixty to ninety minutes of silent, uninterrupted reading time. I don't mind waiting in airports for the same reason. Though it's less silent than a classroom, it's a chance to read and write and draw - although, oddly enough, drawing seems to get strangers talking more so than reading or writing. Most of my students don't feel the same way. They get fidgety. They get restless. Even with paper and pencils and books, they are bored. They hate the silence that comes at the end of a test even more than the test. So, here's what I'm wondering: