Teaching

Today, I read the article in The American Press, "Update: Mixed Reactions to Governor's Executive Order on Common Core", June 19, 2014. There are many things about this article and Common Core that I have problems with, there is one in particular that bothered me.

Near the end of the article Carrie Griffin Monica stated,

"If we are going to start a new school year where we don’t have standards and don’t have an assessment, then our educators have no idea what it is that they are supposed to be doing in their classroom"

Now, I don't know about other teachers... I for one was upset by what she said. On May 21, 2013 I posted  about the word ROBOT...  I spoke of how in today's educational world we as teachers have to go through the motions and teach what we are told when we are told without regard to learning styles, or the child's readiness to move on. Teach the curriculum, verbatim.

I believe if you let teachers do what they do because they love their jobs and their students, without forcing them to abide strictly to a script then our students will do better, and learn more. Yes, we need standards and yes, we need to teach specific things during specific grades, for the development level of the child. Tell us what will be on the test (not exact questions but the skills), then we can and will get the job done.

In years past that is the way education was, there were curriculum, standards, and teacher's manuals. The teachers used their good judgement and the knowledge of their students to get through what was needed for all students to progress. I made it through school and feel that I have done well. I think that many of us who would really think about it, owe our ability to work and function in this world to a teacher who taught without mandates and scripts. We as teachers today can do that too! Just give us the chance. Don't say if we have no standards or assessments, we have no idea what to do.... we do!

Now, I know that I may be way off on what Monica was trying to say... it just rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like she was saying we are incapable of doing the job we were "called" to do without help from the powers that be. So forgive me if I took it the wrong way... I just needed to say what I feel.