For those who may not know, the Common Core (formally called the Common Core State Standards, or CCSS) is a set of standards for English and math in the United States for kindergarten through 12th grade. Their intent was to not only raise the rigor of what was expected at each grade level but also to create a unified education plan across the states. Thus, a student who moved states or schools midyear would still be held accountable for the same skills and content knowledge.
Of course, things that sound good on paper rarely work out so well in practice.
Some states, like mine, adopted the Common Core and fully replaced the previous standards. Other states adopted the Core but modified it. And still others rejected it entirely.
What was meant to provide unity and continuity has become an area of division.
But here’s the thing: The Common Core is a set of standards. It’s right there in the name! A lot of the pushback – and ineffective use – came from educators using the Common Core as a curriculum. That could not be farther from its purpose!
Take 6th grade language (grammar) standard L.6.1.D: Recognize and correct vague pronoun usage. Sure, an inexperienced educator or grammarian might take that as one lesson. Show students an example of vague pronouns, have them complete a worksheet fixing vague pronouns, and move on with the day. But that’s not allowing students to show mastery of the standard.
First of all, how many of you learned something perfectly on the first try? Yet that’s what many teachers expect of their students. Students need multiple exposures and opportunities to practice with a skill before they can be said to have mastered it.
Second, the standards are vague-sounding and broad for a reason. They’re standards, not a curriculum, and not a lesson plan.
In order to effectively teach the standards, teachers need to break them down and truly know their content.
For the above example, consider these questions: What is a vague pronoun? Why does it happen? When does it happen? Are there any exceptions – times when it looks like a vague pronoun, but it’s not? How can it be fixed? Are there multiple fixes? Why should writers be aware of – and correct – vague pronouns? Is this a grammar rule that can be strategically broken for stylistic reasons?
These, among others, are the questions I ask of myself when I approach any of the grammar (or reading, writing, speaking or listening) standards.
Are you starting to see how one standard does not equal one lesson?
Don’t get me wrong – it’s a lot of work! Many of these skills are ones that I never learned as a student, so I need to first learn the skill myself before I can start to develop a lesson series around it. Once I know the content, then I set about answering all those above questions in a way my students will understand. And let me tell you, that takes way more than one lesson.
I guess that’s why they call teaching a job and not free money.
Want to learn more about the Common Core State Standards? Why not head right to the source? http://www.corestandards.org/
Happy writing!
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