One advantage ofbeing in the field of education for over four decades is that I’ve seen manybandwagons roll down School Avenue. By that I mean that every five years there seems to be a new set of standards,a new discipline strategy, a new assessment, or a new approach that is going tofix all of our education system’s short fallings.
The bottom lineis good teaching is good teaching. My father taught in a one room school house over 75 years ago and I bethe implemented some of the “best practices” that worked for me when I startedteaching in 1969.
I’ve heard somemoans and groans recently about the Common Core Standards. Have you looked at them? Look at them and study them beforecondemning them. They areGOOD. They are BASIC. They are meant to improve qualityacross our country. Let mequote: “The Standards define whatall students are expected to know and be able to do, not how teachers shouldteach.” The expectations are veryrelevant and realistic. They are whatgood teachers have been doing in the different grade levels for decades.
Smart teachersknow the research. Smart teachersknow their standards and curriculum. And smart teachers know how to articulate what they are doing and howthey are fusing activities children enjoy with goals to success!
teachingchannel.org
I’ve found agreat website called teachingchannel.org. Take a look at some of their videos that demonstrate how teachers areimplementing Common Core Standards.
Rock StarCheer
Now that I’vepreached, I owe you a new cheer! Benddown the middle finger and ring finger on both hands. Pinky, index fingers, and thumb stay straight. Now, bend your elbows and point yourhands down as you say, “Rock star!”
You can also dothe “You Rock” cheer. When a childgets an answer correctly clap twice, point at them with both index fingers andsay, “You rock!”
