Take a child.

Now remove him from his school campus, hardworking and compassionate teachers, and joy-inducing friends.

Now have him stay home and socially distanced from most others for six months.

Have him do 2.5 months of spontaneous online instruction via platforms he’s never used.

Throw in approximately three months of a pandemic-plagued summer.

Have him return to learning, either masked and in-person or unmasked and home, and tell him this is unfortunately his “new normal.”

Now give him a test.

Give him a plethora of educational assessments while his head is still spinning from the fact that his life have been turned upside down.

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For the student e-learning from home, have him test over Zoom, at his makeshift work area in his house.

While sitting in his bedroom or at his dining room table.

While having internet connectivity issues.

While his younger sibling tries to distract him.

While his older sibling sits near him, also testing.

As the dog barks.

The doorbell rings.

And he attempts to “keep it together.”

Now take that score and remember that truly, it means nothing.

Something, I guess, but in the scheme of things, nothing.

It’s not the be-all, end-all.

It’s one piece of the puzzle.

It’s just a tool.

Your child is not a test score.

Your child is surely not his test score DURING A PANDEMIC.

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With school starting for so very many across the country, and beginning of the year assessments being taken, graded, and those grades being sent home over the next few weeks, this is just a little reminder to parents that what forever matters more than any test score your child receives — now or in the future — is your human feeling . . . 

Loved.

Safe.

Provided for.

And backed.

The learning will follow, but the love should lead.

Your child’s test score is NO indication of how much you love him, how hard he is working, or how hard you have been working alongside and with him.

But that end-of-the-day smile on your kid’s face, the one that he can still muster up amidst a topsy-turvy world . . . 

That IS a very good indication that your kiddo and you are doing just fine. 

Originally published on Jthreenme