Content area
Full Text
Explaining the Common Core State Standards to students promotes metacognition and provides relevance.
There are two types of educators, and luckily, one group is getting smaller with each passing month: those who are concerned about the rigorous demands of the Common Core State Standards and those who know little about the standards and are proceeding through the school year as if nothing were changing. Although some educators see the standards as reason for stress, most recognize the positive possibilities associated with them and are willing to make the professional commitment to implementing them so that academic rigor for all students will increase.
But business leaders, parents, and the authors of the Common Core are not the only ones who recognize the need for college and career readiness; students want to be prepared too. They do not want to sit in classrooms where rigor is minimal, engagement is limited, and nothing of substance is discussed or learned. They have a vested interest in the rigor associated with secondary education.
Begin With the Standards
Although it is not necessary for students to be overly familiar with the origin of the Common Core, no discussion of academic rigor would be comprehensive without familiarity with the standards. For students to be willing to put forth the effort it will take to learn at the levels designated by the new educational goals, they must have a general understanding of the standards' purpose and the reasons for mastery. The students sitting in secondary classrooms often resist course content if the reasons for learning are not fully explained.
Building understanding among students about the Common Core should begin with a general discussion about the purpose and origin of the standards. Students should know that the Common Core is the result of a cooperative effort between government and business to be competitive within an international workforce. Most secondary students understand the idea of global competition, and teachers can tap into their competitive spirits for the purpose of motivation.
Secondary students should understand that different types of text require different types of reading. Sometimes reading quickly and skimming is sufficient; other times, it is necessary to slow down, read each word for meaning, and reread for a deeper understanding.
Discuss the new emphasis...
