By Mark
Though I do not believe that uniform curriculum standards will actually cure any ills in education, and though I do not believe that the Common Core standards for the language arts are really clear or specific enough to even do the job a standard should, I do not oppose the idea of being able to connect my daily instruction to specific learning goals and, yes, broader context standards such as the Common Core.
I teach high school language arts. In my 9th grade class, the first day back from Spring Break, I passed back grades and feedback on my students' recent essays (they did very well!) and we worked through a reflection/goal-setting activity to ready them for the coming long-haul of five-day-weeks with no holiday weekends or days off.
The lesson went well. The kids strategized how to "keep the wheels from falling off," and I shared with them the story of my personal "gremlin" which followed me around in high school and messed up all my science experiments. My gremlin–rushing through tasks rather than reading directions–was the cause of many academic stumbles. I had the kids identify their own gremlins and reflect how to avoid pitfalls of student-hood as the sun is coming out. We strategized how to avoid the kind of saboteur-gremlins that start to multiply this time of year.
So why did I start this post with talk of standards? It has to do with a hallway conversation that followed this gremlin lesson.
My building has been doing work to align curriculum to standards–specifically Power Standards–so that we can aim for commonality amongst classes and clear focus on curriculum and content. Each unit, each lesson, each activity should have a clear goal which ties to one of the unit's Power Standards.
I don't totally disagree with all that (other that the push for common-ness). However, as I explained the day's gremlin lesson during a conversation in the hallway, the question was broached, in jest actually but with a definite twinge of uncomfortable reality: "So what power standard does that deal with?"
The truth is: none of them.
My worry is that with all the aligning and power standarding and everything that it will be far too easy to forget that it takes more than standards to build successful learning.
I heard my fears come to life a while back during a similar hallway conversation among two teachers: one wanted to take a step back and review some foundational skills her students lacked (and were therefore not able to move forward in one unit), while the other argued that such backstepping didn't fit in the curriculum sequence and alignment with Power Standards. That the students needed skills not reflected in the standards in order to achieve the skills reflected in the standards seemed, illogically, to have no place in a standards-driven classroom.
I have no confidence that nationwide common standards are going to help my students achieve.
I have great confidence that teaching them about study skills, time management, and how to monitor their gremlins will.
I hope I will continue to have the freedom to incorporate the latter until the fever over the other dies down.
We’ve been working with the common core standards for the last year in my building, and they really are not different from what we were using before, aside from one which actually dictates that Shakespeare and an American Dramatist be taught. There’s significant overlap otherwise, though the vagueness of the common core does make them a tougher target to hit. In 2014 or 15, or whenever it is that the new Language Arts assessment pieces for Washington are rolled out aligned to the Common Core, I’m curious to see how much different it all will be. My admin yesterday mentioned the possibility of the ELA test moving from 10th grade to 11th grade when this all happens–that will certainly change the conversation in my building.
Power Standards! Grrrrrr … I have heard that term a number of times. I share a similar feeling on standards. I like them, but know just adopting standards will not changes schools. The quality of teacher instruction will; it has been shown again and again. However, I hear from many people who push the newly, almost, going to be adopted “core atandards,” speak of them as if once we get the binder of them, all the problems in education will be solved. Rename it, organize it, and package it up and it will work say the pushers. Yes. And. No.
I am glad to have the core standards. Something that will be consistent. I hope the state is ready for the drop in grade and scores. While Washington state is not greatly off, the core standards are higher than current state standards. A current B student will likely get a C with the core standards. Are the students, parents, and districts ready for this? Will they direct concern to someone other than blaming the teacher and saying something like how their child was always a B student until your class?
I look forward to it. It will be educating, and if not, at least entertaining.