Using Common Sense Before Tackling Common Core!
The buzz today in teaching is Common Core. Common Core is a national attempt to reform the standards of education by grade level. It has hit the country with a fury, and teachers in every state are working hard to understand exactly what the expectations are. One problem is not everything in the Common Core is clear, and, of course, everything is subject to change.
If you are an urban educator, as I am, there is another problem. Regardless of the standards you are asked to follow, the assumption is that you are working with students who are at, or at least close to, grade level. This year, I am working with children who range from first grade levels to seventh grade levels; the bulk being around the third grade level. I teach middle school.
Every text I am given to work with by my district is at grade level, yet most of my students cannot read at that level. One of the first writing standards I am required to achieve is to have students write five paragraph essays on a given topic. Most of my students are not yet writing in complete sentences. Yikes! What's a teacher to do?
In every case, and without hesitation, I teach to the needs of my students, much to the chagrin of my current principal. And, every year, my test scores (which I truly hate to mention) are far above the average for the district. How is this possible? Well, it's not magic. It all begins with Common Sense and understanding how small a dot is.
