Standards

I really like what we read in Ready, Set, Science! and the Inquiry PDF this weekend.  I also liked our discussion about it and one thing in particular stood out to me: Standards aren't what make students learn or not learn: teachers do that.  It is up to me as a teacher to make sure my students are learning and progressing, even if that means more work for me, and even if that means I will have more things to do it should be worth it if it means kids are learning.

Honestly, I don't really have a problem with Common Core...I kind of like it!  

Before you hate me and come up with all the reasons why you believe Common Core sucks, just hear me out!  I know teachers who like it as well.  Because there are teachers out there who see Common Core for what it was meant to be; a way to make learning more efficient for a child starting in Kindergarten and going through 12th grade.  Common Core is so hard for teachers and students currently because they're in the middle.  They have already learned all the "shortcuts" and easy ways to memorize facts so they can test well, and move on to cover more topics; Common Core has them learning basic theories and elements in Kindergarten--like algebraic thinking--so that when they get to 9th grade Algebra, they are truly extending and building on their prior knowledge, not learning a whole a new idea.

I did a lot of reading up on Common Core because the fact is, I will probably be teaching it.  I think if we stick with Common Core for 12 years, to see the kids who started with it graduate, and see their achievement levels and how well it worked for them, we will see that standards such as these can have a huge benefit!  I know that this system isn't perfect, but I think the good far outweighs the bad!  I think if we stick with it, and actually TRY to make it work, we will see how good it can really be once it is perfected!

I have included a few article links below that I read and that have really helped me understand more and get more on board with the standards train.  I am excited to see how I teach with common core, and if nothing else, my positive attitude about it will be the thing that makes it a success in my classroom!

National Education Association News

Common Core Blog

Teach Hub