Proctoring the Florida State assessment exams is part of my job description. This year, I was assigned to the third grade. I assist in handing out materials, writing Start and End time on the board, check for correct test codes on student books and pull teeth.
Yes, there is a factor in third grade testing that isn’t on the test preparation booklet. That’s of taking care of bloody, hanging teeth. Third graders are generally about 8 – 9 years old. I’m used to the nearly toothless 1st graders (Lord…how do they eat?) and the spotted mouths of the second graders. Normally, I don’t have tooth issues with the third graders.
Today’s test proved otherwise. One student was grabbing her right cheek and blood was dripping down her hand. Oh…this is not testing posture! Looking into her mouth, I saw the cause of the blood: her side tooth was hanging diagonally with plenty of gum-skin connecting it. I wasn’t ready to pull that dent out prior to the test. So I called a pause to the start of the test and dragged the student to the school nurse.
We washed out her mouth, gave her a cold paper towel and a cup of cool water to sip on until the blood stopped. By the time we returned to the class, her tooth stopped bleeding. We changed her seating next to the sink, just in case she needed to wash the blood during the test.
Eighty minutes later, another student came up to me and handed me her tooth. It fell out during the test. The girl whose tooth caused the pause in the testing still had hers hanging diagonally in her mouth.
Both students finished their test. The test they passed was not only the Florida Standards Assessment. They were able to show constraint and self poise. The moment they lost their teeth to the test, they grew up …smiling.
both students! how funny
yeah….and that’s a first…in 15 years!