Last week I touched on the increased expectations of Common Core Standards. My entire teaching career has existed in the days of Common Core, so other than my own schooling as a child, I don't know any different! I would assume most parents would say their only experience with Common Core is through the eyes of their children, not personal experience.
When I put on my parent hat for a moment, what I see my own children doing at school is much more rigorous that I ever attempted as a child. I think that is wonderful! As a mom, I want my children to be smarter, kinder, and more successful than their parents. The downside of this? It's sometimes hard for me to help them with their homework! The 6th grade math homework that I see come home is more complicated than what I did in high school - yikes! My kids bring home homework and tell me that they can't do it my "old fashioned" way. Sound familiar? The mom in my wants to say, "If it works, who cares how you get the answer?" But the teacher in me is thrilled! Let me tell you why...
I was the kid who could memorize a math formula, but never explain how I solved the problem. I didn't understand how the Distributive Property worked, but I could solve a problem using the formula. So one could argue that I really didn't understand math. Today's students learn several different ways to solve a problem, respond to a story, and explain their thinking. Each grade level learns fewer concepts, but studies them more in-depth. We will no longer be producing the "Jack of all trades, master on none." Today's students will master many concepts! Common Core Standards tend to get unfair criticism most of the time. With this week's blog post, I encourage you to take a good look at the Illinois Learning Standards to see just what is expected of your child. https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Learning-Standards.aspx
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