I attended
a “Lunch and Learn” at my daughter’s middle school some time ago. My
expectation was that there would be a brief presentation and then the parents
would be allowed to converse and enjoy lunch with our children. Instead,
the principal stood at the podium for 45 minutes discussing Georgia
She rambled on, flipping through slide after slide attempting to explain that the current CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests) would no longer be used. She implied that the teaching level ofGeorgia
Finally, after yielding to her plea to 'get your student prepared', I said to myself, “Hey Terri. The principal of the school is spending her time explaining this new teaching and testing style. You may need to focus in.” So I did.
What I realized is that they are changing the direction of how students are taught English language arts, mathematics, and literacy in science, history/social studies, and technical subjects. Instead of drilling nonstop facts into their brains they are requiring that students elevate themselves to a higher level of thinking. The new standards deviate greatly from the textbook unit testing. They implore the student to think beyond what is in front of them. There will be more essay writing and more thought processing. I was not the only parent that felt somewhat caught off guard by this change. This brings me to my point.
We have done a disservice to our students by failing to incorporate writing as a bona fide subject. Then suddenly the light switch turned on in the academic world and the great powers that be decided our students should know how to write. Hence, writing was added to the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). Colleges are weighing entrance essays more heavily and the Common Core Curriculum will require more written essays.
Our teachers have been caught off guard with this shift as well. They are busily working this summer to modify their curriculum in order to align with the new standards. However, my question is, who will be equipped to teach the art of writing to our students Many teachers have expressed concern with their abilities to teach writing. Some even lack the desire to tackle the job.
Parents, please be informed. Your child will be expected to pass the Common Core Curriculum whether their teacher is prepared or not. What should you do? I would suggest finding a writing coach to assist your child. The earlier they start the better. This will give your child a “leg up” with this new curriculum. In addition, many tutoring businesses have incorporated writing into their programs. Make sure the writing instructor is not only certified in some area of writing but has experience in the field.
Many programs have come and gone inGeorgia
She rambled on, flipping through slide after slide attempting to explain that the current CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests) would no longer be used. She implied that the teaching level of
Finally, after yielding to her plea to 'get your student prepared', I said to myself, “Hey Terri. The principal of the school is spending her time explaining this new teaching and testing style. You may need to focus in.” So I did.
What I realized is that they are changing the direction of how students are taught English language arts, mathematics, and literacy in science, history/social studies, and technical subjects. Instead of drilling nonstop facts into their brains they are requiring that students elevate themselves to a higher level of thinking. The new standards deviate greatly from the textbook unit testing. They implore the student to think beyond what is in front of them. There will be more essay writing and more thought processing. I was not the only parent that felt somewhat caught off guard by this change. This brings me to my point.
We have done a disservice to our students by failing to incorporate writing as a bona fide subject. Then suddenly the light switch turned on in the academic world and the great powers that be decided our students should know how to write. Hence, writing was added to the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). Colleges are weighing entrance essays more heavily and the Common Core Curriculum will require more written essays.
Our teachers have been caught off guard with this shift as well. They are busily working this summer to modify their curriculum in order to align with the new standards. However, my question is, who will be equipped to teach the art of writing to our students Many teachers have expressed concern with their abilities to teach writing. Some even lack the desire to tackle the job.
Parents, please be informed. Your child will be expected to pass the Common Core Curriculum whether their teacher is prepared or not. What should you do? I would suggest finding a writing coach to assist your child. The earlier they start the better. This will give your child a “leg up” with this new curriculum. In addition, many tutoring businesses have incorporated writing into their programs. Make sure the writing instructor is not only certified in some area of writing but has experience in the field.
Many programs have come and gone in
