I was at an interview last week, and I was asked to respond to the prompt: What are you excited about in education right now? It seems like there are so many disgruntled teachers, administrators and parents right now. I argue that this is a time of excitement. As we move into a new vision of education, there is a sense of possibility. That's what I like to set my sights on. Focusing on the negative takes energy away from my focus on students.
So why am I excited? I believe the Common Core will allow teachers to focus on building a deeper understanding of topics. Teachers no longer need to cover every lesson in the textbook, something which they are often told to do, even though they know some of the students haven't mastered a topic. This will allow teachers to use formal and informal formative assessments to guide their instruction. The assessments can really mean something now.
The Common Core is the floor. It is the goal for all students. Teachers and students can set their sights higher. Project-based and passion-based learning can be explored using the standards as guidelines since teaching methods aren't specified. In fact, the standards ask students to create and collaborate. Textbooks and anthologies don't often call for these skills. How exciting it is to build on students' curiosity and desires to work together.
The PARCC assessments are also causing a lot of anxiety. When I asked my sixth grader how she felt about taking tests on the computer, she responded that it wasn't a big deal. My second grader didn't seem concerned either. This is the world that they live in on a daily basis. Why not take advantage of the tools that students are comfortable with? The tests are new and scary for some of us, but ask the kids how they feel. I don't think they're as anxious as the teachers are.
This is just the beginning of a much longer list that I'll save for another day. But I ask you to reflect on the question,
What are you excited about in education today?
Let's focus on the positive and continue to work to help all students be the best they can be academically, socially and emotionally.
