(Note from Dave: Heidi Bonnema calls herself a “baby teacher,” but this is more a testament to her humility than it is to her skill level. I’m honored to call her, not just a colleague, but a friend. If you follow Teaching the Core’s article of the week list, you’ll have noticed that, lately, the articles […]
Instruction
3 Sports Metaphors that Fuel Excellence in My Classroom
Full disclaimer: I’m the kid who got cut from soccer his junior year of high school and hasn’t really played organized sports since. And even though I’ve got my alma mater tattooed on my thigh (the picture at right should explain that a bit), I watch, at most, one or two full sporting events per […]
12 Skills the Common Core AND Employers Want
The Common Core is a set of goals aimed at college and career readiness. This we know. But do the anchor standards really correlate to what employers want? Quite a bit, according to 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College. So what, according to Coplin, should people entering the workforce be able to do, […]
What Texts Does the Common Core REQUIRE Students to Read?
Although the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are rife with suggested texts and text types, there are several parenthetical remarks within the grade-specific reading standards that aren’t examples; they are to be included. Required titles RI.11-12.9 — that is, the ninth standard within the Reading Informational texts strand for grades 11 and 12 — is […]
Can a text be inherently worth reading, even if it wilts your soul?
Calling all readers! Bring your friends, bring your students, and answer this simple question in the comments. (This is a great warm-up activity for your students, by the way.) Do you agree with the following statement? “If some curriculum guide you were handed says ‘This Text Was Deemed To Be ‘Close Reading Worthy’ but you […]