I now know more about language arts standards than I ever
thought I would know. Our Curriculum
Principal sat in on a department meeting I was running this week. The topic of common core standards came up
and I started spewing out all sorts of information on how language arts
standards were closely tied to our common core math standards and how literacy
fell into the modeling components of the common core math standards, etc. When I was done, she looked at me, said
“Wow”, and then proceeded to tell me that she needed to start reading up on the
standards.
As I was reviewing blog postings this week, I made it a
point to focus on some of the elementary teachers sites. I wanted to share how developing strong
literacy skills in the elementary schools could affect students when they make
it to high school and beyond. I shared
some of the frustrations I experience when I try to teach mathematics to a
student who has low reading and writing skills.
I also shared a few websites that addressed both literacy and tech
resources. The reasoning for focusing on
elementary school teachers was two-fold.
I wanted to be encouraging as they struggle to meet the intense demands
of new standards and practices. I also
wanted to emphasize that their lessons in language arts will positively affect
their kids ability to be successful in future coursework. Despite taking a long hiatus from teaching, I
have been around the educational world for many years. I have seen trends come and go and have seen good
teachers leave the field of teaching due to frustrations with the constantly
changing ideas. I was one of them. Working in other intellectually demanding
careers helped me realize the importance of a strong, rigorous education. Now that I’ve come back to teaching, I
appreciate how the common core standards emphasize the rigor that many careers
require. Teachers need to be aware of
this and should be encouraged that efforts to meet the demands of the common
core standards are worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment