Xander and Curtis

Xander and Curtis
Our little men

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Spanish Test

To keep being able to teach Spanish in the state of Arizona I have to take a Praxis Exam that isn't being offered anymore or I had to take the state of Arizona test that everyone has been telling me is so brutal.  I asked administration at the high school if they wanted me to teach Spanish ever or if they needed me to since I was having such a hard time finding a Praxis Test that I needed.  They got excited because apparently Jim Lescher and Frank White never told anyone that I could teach Spanish and all of a sudden they were talking about what if they could have a Spanish class for next year.  So, we found the Arizona test together and I was told to sign up.
Recently they were telling me that we might not have the necessary supplies to have a Spanish class, even though I know for a fact that Pinon used to have a Spanish class, maybe they got rid of the old materials?  Since I had already paid for the test, about 80 dollars, I went and took my test today during the Super Saturday Training.  Everyone wanted to know where I was even though we had not only planned when I would take the test together but I had also told several people lately exactly where I would be.
 I swear everyone has really short memories about where and when I will do things.  They forgot the conference that they paid almost 200 dollars in expenses for me to go to and they forgot a state test for Spanish Teaching that they asked me to take when they were still thinking that there could be a Spanish class next year.  I love the people I work with and I bet they could name at least as many times if not more that I have forgotten things.
The test was great for the most part.  There were four sections, Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.  Listening and Reading which were the two bigger parts of the test were easy for me and I nailed them.  I wrote better than the average Elder on my mission but never had much talent for grammar so I'm not sure how the writing went.  They were looking for coherent ideas and organization in the writing as well, so I should score well for those.
Speaking I wasn't a fan of, one question that you are given one minute to think about then two minutes to talk about.  I'm pretty sure I stuttered a bit.  I felt that they should have given me more than one question.  In reading I had to remember history, economy, and agriculture of Hispanic Nations and I had to analysis passages from books, poems, and manuals to find main ideas and supporting ideas.  I also had to look at conversations and choose the best phrases and words to fill in the blanks.  Yes, I can do all that easily, yes I can read in Spanish.  Why then in the speaking portion, in one of the most important areas of communication was I given only one question?  Seems a little extreme to see whether or not I can speak well.
All and all I am confident that I passed it.  If not, I'm not sure that I want to spend another 80 dollars to get to Flagstaff by 8:00 to take a four hour test, that I finished in three.  If I did take it again it would be a matter of pride because I know I aced two of the sections and did okay on the other two.  It's the other two that has me worried though, how much weight is on them and how brutal is the scoring process?  Guess I'll find out soon enough.

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