Scary.

Today my 7th graders are taking the writing TAKS test. Scary. I think they are ready. They seem to care. I am unusually not stressed about it. But when I see them not working in about two hours, I am going to start panicking. But surely they will work. They know how important this is. It is out of my hands now. Scary.

The scariest part for me right now is the prompt. Last year we were unbelievably lucky with the prompt, "Write a composition about your favorite memory." It was perfect. This year I know the prompt is going to be something horrific like, "write a composition detailing the pros and cons of the war in Iraq." Or "Write a composition about the importance of finding the cure for aids." In reality those would never be the prompts, but something like "Write a composition about an important decision you have made" could pose an equal threat to a 7th grader's mind. Scary.

They will be fine. They will. They have to be.