Saturday, November 3, 2012

Saturday Sayings: The Best in Us



What's on my mind these days?
I shall make a list.
(Warning:  It's ever so slightly opinionated.)

  • I'd like to thank the Common Core for letting me decide how to teach the standards.  (Regie would approve.)
  • Becoming familiar with the Common Core takes time and is a bit messy, but it's a given that I should know and understand what's expected of my learners.
  • I'm grateful for an administration that believes in my ability to design a Common Core curriculum that best fits the needs of my students, and I'm thankful they give me extra time to make that happen.
  • I can't count on a program, a series, or a teacher's manual to fill the gaps.
  • Developing curriculum is a lot of work, but it's better than being handed a product that I had no say in making and might not even believe in.  
  • Developing curriculum improves my understanding of the standards.
  • Developing curriculum requires me to know my students better. 
  • Developing curriculum gives me ownership of the teaching and learning in my classroom.
  • Developing curriculum makes me more reflective.
  • Developing curriculum makes me a better teacher. 
Making the Common Core my very own is not easy.  In fact, it's far from it and sometimes stretches me to my limits, but the process is worthy of my time.  When all is said and done, I believe it should bring out the best in us, not the worst.


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14 comments:

  1. Amen to this! Getting in, doing the hard work and reflection on our curriculum and teaching will only make us better!
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. Lori, thanks for the amen! It is hard work, but if it makes us better like you said, it's worth it.

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  2. I agree Tammy! Many places have district curriculum and pacing guides. I wonder if they are considered "best practice" in our profession? Do they create professionals that can make instructional decisions based on what is best for students? I would feel better about them if they were optional. If they were truly "guides" and not mandates.
    Literacy Minute

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    1. Sandi, I like the use of the word "professionals." That's exactly what we should be even if it's hard work.

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  3. I saw a quote by Judy Garland on Pinterest yesterday--(trying to recall on not-enough-coffee) "Be a first-rate version of yourself not a second-rate version of someone else." Your post made me think the same thing. My school isn't following the Common Core, but I am educating myself and I have quite a bit of freedom in the way I choose to teach our goals

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    1. Thanks Chrissy for adding your thoughts to my post. That's a great quote.

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  4. My iPad is not cooperating today!

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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    1. You're welcome! Thanks for coming by of course.

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  5. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I love to know what teachers think about common core and how it works in each school.

    Kimberley
    First in Maine

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    1. Kimberley, I'm sure you've found there are definitely varied opinions about the common core. It's here, so I figure why not embrace it and become a better teacher in the process. Thanks for coming by!

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  6. I do so agree and am thankful for many of those things as well. I think I may be the only one excited about the common core at my school right now.
    Tammy
    First Grade @ Storybook Cafe
    dtklinger@gmail.com

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    1. Tammy, I'm glad to hear that it excites you. The process we're taking does require a lot of work, but I do so believe that it's worth it.

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