As a teacher, I view achievement on many different levels. I suppose one dimension of achievement is having all my students meet the standards for the state, or the district, but even though that is the most important achievement to the administrators, and the district, I don't think it would be the most important achievement to me. It would perhaps become the most important achievement if my salary depended on it, but I hope it would never come to that.
Another dimension of achievement is, for me, getting my students to actually comprehend the texts that we are discussing. Anyone can make them read them, but if they can really take what they've read, and internalize it, and then be able to analyze and remember it, then that is a true achievement.
One more dimension of achievement, that is not necessarily one for me, but it bears remembering for me since it applies to my students at McKay, is graduating high school. For a lot of the kids I will be having in my class, getting through to their senior year and graduating is a huge achievement, and it really shouldn't be discounted.
It might come to that! But I hope not...Certainly you need to strive for the state's definition of achievement, but as you note, that doesn't have to be the only way of thinking about success. I appreciate your sense that learning is more than remembering, but understanding and being capable of analyzing. I agree that simple things can be big things, like graduating!
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