"what does SAT stand for?"

This summer, as you may know, I taught SAT prep, and in the first class, we couldn't really teach anything so we had to give a little intro talk on the SATs. I always started with the question "What does SAT stand for?" Now, if everything went as planned, I'd get a number of reasonable responses like Standard Aptitude Test or Scholastic Achievement Test, then some stupid ones like Silly Annoying Thing. Then, as a part of my attempt to make the kids like me, I'd add ones like Surf And Turf, or Sweet Apple Tart. AND THEN, as part of my final flourish, I'd announce that officially the letters SAT don't stand for anything. That was how I planned it. Usually what would happen is some smart-ass would say "It stands for nothing," and give away the whole thing, thus ruining my entire flourish.

Anyway, I'd usually barrel through, and said to them, "So what can we extrapolate* is that just as the letters SAT don't mean anything, the SAT does not mean anything - not achievement, not aptitude, not dinner choices. It's just a test that people have randomly assigned meaning to, and that's why you're taking this course." Now I said this to relax them a bit. That this test is only important because people say it is, and if their opinion matters, you have to work a bit, but it's still just a random test.

Now today and yesterday, my music theatre class was subjected to a series of auditions. How much these matter is a point in contention - the teachers know us and our work. They tell us it's a learning experience and that is probably true as well. But, you know, I'm coming to realize that these auditions are just like the SATs. They mean nothing. They don't necessarily represent how talented I am or how well I perform, but someone is attaching importance to it, suddenly, I have to work.

Needless to say, this blog is just a long way of saying "sour grapes." But, you know, maybe it's healthy to take a little bit comfort in meaninglessness. I will add this to the many scales to balance (lest I go too extreme in any given direction, which I certainly have been known to do).



*Then I'd write "extrapolate" on the board, and have them define it.