Refections on Teaching the Common Core

I realize that the phrase Common Core State Standards brings about strong reactions for many people. Numerous blogs, tweets, and articles have been written about the pros and cons of these standards. In the meantime, teachers across Kentucky have been teaching using these standards for the past two years. I thought it was important to reflect on what I have learned these past two years and why I am a supporter of the Common Core State Standards.  

 The common core has created a universal language for teachers. This is powerful and has  generated opportunities for teachers to collaborate across districts and the nation.   When teachers meet at national and state conferences, our conversations center around helping our students master those standards and not the differences in our standards.  I rarely hear the refrain: "well that works for your state, but our state standards require _________". This universal language has begun to drive the professional development for teachers. Teachers are speaking up about what we need and speaking against the "one size fits all" PD sessions of the past. As a result, PD is becoming more individualized and relevant to what teachers need to teach the standards. 

 

The common core is encouraging thinking among our students. Students are asked to not only understand concepts, but also to think about those concepts in multiple ways. This is very important, especially for a generation that can find the answer to most any knowledge-based question with the tap of a finger. As a result, the products students are creating are stronger, more complicated than in previous years. The conversations we have in class are richer and less scripted and teacher-driven than ever before. Students are learning that there are multiple ways to answer a question.These skills will help our students as they leave our classrooms for the next stage in their lives. 

 

The common core is changing my teaching for the better. The skills in the common core are high level and require more from me as a teacher. At first, this was intimidating. I had taught successfully for ten years. Would I be asked to toss out everything and begin again?  The answer is no. I haven't tossed everything out. I have revised, and, in some cases, totally overhauled lessons in order to teach the common core. Contrary to some critics' opinions, I still use literature in my English classroom. I also use non-fiction, informational, print, and non-print texts. Along the way, I have added some new tools to my teaching kit.  The literacy design collaborative has been instrumental in helping my students bridge the skills in the common core. A week ago I attended a Paideia training and look forward to using seminars to help my students with the speaking and listening skills in the common core.

To me, the conversations with my colleagues, the changes in my students' learning, and the improvement of my teaching are what makes the common core so valuable and why I am glad my state has made a commitment to the common core.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Didn't Delete

It's been eleven years since I have sponsored a club. I said I wouldn't do it again. I was too old, too tired, too something. At the beginning of every year I deleted the e-mails from our principal asking for teachers to sponsor various clubs. This year, I didn't delete.

When the e-mail came across my screen, I felt a strange tugging to respond. Perhaps it was time to step out of my comfort zone and interact with students beyond the classroom. After a brief phone conversation with the contact at the YMCA, I became the sponsor of the Y-Club at my school. Our club participates in a mock Kentucky Legislative session called the Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA) and a mock UN session called Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA).

Since my focus this year has been finding my teacher voice, I have been hyper-focused on hearing the voices of others in my school community. I noticed that my students were very passionate about issues in our community, state, and nation, but did not feel that their ideas and opinions were taken very seriously.

This is where my journey with the Y-Club began. I quickly went into sponsor-mode. I recruited students and another teacher to co-sponsor, facilitated meetings, and filled out paperwork (oh, the paperwork), so we could attend an overnight conference. Our group prepared for our first KYA experience, not completely sure of what we were doing.

This conference is where the magic happened. I saw a very real life application of the Common Core Standards. Students researched topics, wrote a bill, prepared and delivered a speech. They had to think on their feet to address technical questions and counter arguments. I saw students transform before my eyes. I saw students speak passionately and thoughtfully about topics that were important to them. I saw students who, despite their trembling hands and tight throats, spoke publicly for the first time. I saw students high five one another when their bill passed the House, the Senate, and then was passed into law by the Governor. I saw future leaders developing before my eyes.

This transformation led to a couple of weepy teacher moments for me. Watching my students stand in the Kentucky Capitol Building presenting their bills was an incredibly affirming experience. It was a reminder of why I teach. I teach because I want to positively affect students'
lives.

I am so glad I didn't delete the e-mail.