Common Core State Standards

Reading the first chapter of Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards by Richard Beach, Amanda Haertling Thein, and Allen Webb drastically changed my perception of the Common Core State Standards. As a student of education, I was introduced to the Common Core with an air of skepticism and negativity. Teachers, perhaps unintentionally, have suggested the cookie-cutter-ness of this approach, which unfortunately had planted similar seeds in my mind. After having read this selection, however, the misconceptions are glaringly evident. More importantly, they are avoidable with proper, well-informed practice. I had fallen victim to the misconception that standards = standardization. However, as the article states, the common core standards "do not specify what or how to teach." The curriculum allows for much more creativity and freedom than most let on. We must rely on our own experience and creativity to decide when and how we teach each standard. Further, what and how we teach must cater to the experiences and needs of the students. While I read this selection, one message continued to arise throughout. In order to most effectively teach the Common Core Standards, we must know -- truly know -- our students. We, as teachers, need to have formed a relationship and a connection with our students so that we have an understanding of their backgrounds, their experiences, and their needs. Based on this knowledge, we can then decide the timeline and approach that will be most effective for our students. The standards are not simply about content. The standards, when taught based on the needs of the students, may also serve to prepare the students for life after school. Our curriculum should expose our students to life in the twenty-first century. While my only experience with the Common Core thus far does feel a bit fragmented because of the sporadic lessons that occur during the obversataonal portion of the student teaching program, I am excited by the idea of crafting a curriculum that will bridge the gap between the objectives and the real-life experiences of my future students.