CCSS for ELA Instruction

As someone who has very little physical experience in a classroom (so far), I know that my impression of the Common Core State Standards is fairly superficial. With that being said, I do see them as a helpful guideline to help direct teaching and to keep it somewhat consistent. As a new teacher, not having standards to stem lesson plans from would be intimidating. The CCSS provide a good starting point for lesson planning.  

An initial thought I had while reading the text was how effective it is to make students aware of what they are learning before they even start learning it. The fact that my only experience with standards have been as a teacher (and not as a student) is upsetting to me. If I knew what I was expected to learn, I might have more easily grasped those points. I think students should have access to the yearly standards, and they should know how each day’s lesson caters to those standards.

The text, although in support of the standards, does bring up some interesting ideas about why some people oppose them. The standards keep education consistent. This might be nice in a traditional class setting, but some students need different approaches to learning, or they want to take a different path altogether. Just because they aren’t learning the same things that their peers are, doesn’t mean that they aren’t learning valuable skills.

Similarly, CCSS are not very culturally inclusive. The standards work best for white middle-class students because they are able to better identify with the test-makers. This causes a disadvantage for non-white and lower class students. To combat this, we must teach in way that are relevant to a diverse group of students.

As the text reminds us, standards are only the intended end goal for students. How teachers (or districts) get them to that goal is up to them. I think it’s important to utilize diverse resources and methods to help our students get the most well-rounded education that we can provide them.