Pathways...

I remember last year when I realized that I would be transitioning from Pre-K to an elementary classroom one of my biggest worries was being faced with the Common Core Standards. Prior to changing grade levels, I often heard colleagues at my school express their un-satisfaction with the standards. Many of them felt that the standards were too unrealistic and rigorous for students to achieve.  Others felt they were too tedious to achieve all by the end of the year. Needless to say when I realized I would be leaving the world of the pre-k standards that allowed kids the freedom to learn through play learning and learn social and emotional skills, I was not thrilled. My vision was that I would begin teaching students in a way that emphasized the mastery of standards rather than learning for the sake of learning.

Now that I have had almost a year of experience with the common core, my main challenge that I have faced this year has been teaching the standards as I learn them.  I’ve felt that I have not had the opportunity to spend time reading all of the social studies and math  standards, understand what they mean, figure out how teach them and what it would look like in my classroom for students to master these standards.  It wasn’t until reading the first five chapters of Pathways to the Common Core, that I felt that I had begun to understand the common core standards.

  I enjoyed the authors’ initial discussion in the book about viewpoint.  Before discussing the standards, the authors recognize that it important to address our attitude about the standards first.  “If we are going to play a role in shaping the future, then we need to take the Queen Mother’s advice to heart. We need to see hope and opportunity” (p. 8). Paralleling our attitude towards the common core with the story of Queen Mother and Cory Booker helped shaped my attitude about the standards before continuing to read the book. Before finishing chapter one , I had more of an optimistic attitude that I could find the positive in the common core standards and use it as an opportunity to push my students to be successful.

Throughout the first five chapters, the authors unpack the reading standards of the common core which really helped me to understand exactly what my students are expected to know, demonstrate,  and the reasons why these standards exist. The book also provides examples of how to teach these standards.  A few excerpts from the book confirmed what we have already discussed in our courses and have learned from each other. For example, the authors place emphasis on book clubs, text sets, and incorporating books based on student interest. “You might watch videos of students engaged in high-level partnership or book club conversations…” (p. 29). “Certainly, when teachers select texts to read aloud to the whole class, it is usual to think of those selections as creating a text set that readers can later thing across…” (p. 64). “Readers should have the opportunities to choose from a wide range of high interest texts” (p. 70). Some areas that I realize that I need to implement more of in my classroom is the increase of cross-curricular, analytical nonfiction reading. The authors suggest that in order to analyze nonfiction text we must move away from reading for information and move towards comparing authors perspectives and point of views. I love the example that is given about how fifth graders would understand the American Revolution. “Fifth graders in a CCSS-aligned classroom will read speeches made by Patriots, look at propaganda on the part of Loyalists and Patriots, weigh the reasons people took sides in the war, and imagine themselves in the shoes of people who hold different views on this topic” (p. 20). As a social studies teacher this really helps me to learn how I can tie in reading standards to social studies by teaching them analyze and compare text. I also appreciated the tips that were provided on how to put more high interest and right nonfiction books into kids hands (pgs. 91-92). One area of the book that I’m still questioning is the commentary on leveling books. “If someone has told you that the Common Core requires that you level books by this or that system, the truth is that the standards recognize the limitations of all existing leveling systems…” (p. 35). I’m wondering what are the limitations of leveling? Most of what I’ve heard about leveling is that it is a positive way to help students continue to practice reading on their level and progress them to the next level. I’m interesting in learning more about the research about the limitations of leveling books.

Overall, I’m really excited about Pathways. This is a book that I can foresee will be a helpful reference for me to use throughout my teaching career. It not only helps to explain the standards but teaches me how to teach them in a meaningful and personal way for my students. I’m looking forward to reading more!