The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Instruction

                I feel that common standards are a good thing as all students learn the same basic principles needed to thrive in today’s world. While I agree with standards, I disagree with standardization, particularly among curriculums. Just as no two students are the same, no two teachers are the same. Department-, school-, or district-wide curriculums may seem like a good idea in theory, but is difficult to pull off. Teachers have different teaching styles and interests and use this to teach their students. If all teachers are forced to teach the exact same material in the exact same way, teachers can lose a lot of the passion they put in to crafting a lesson. Teachers need to be allowed to put their own spin on the material they present to the classroom.

                Teachers can still help their students rise to the standards without being standardized themselves. The Common Core State Standards illustrate the concepts students need to comprehend. Teachers can create their own curriculum in order to teach their students these skills. As well as adding their own spin to a lesson, teachers can help individualize to their students. Like Kyle’s issue in the article, classroom have varying levels of diversity. Some students may learn in specific settings or through different teaching styles, and standardized curriculums don’t allow for this. Teachers can vary their curriculum in a way that is beneficial to all students’ learning and still make sure that the common core standards are introduced into the classroom.

                As for the standards themselves, one thing I like is how standards remain mostly the same through grade levels: Standard W.9-10.1 and W.11-12.1 both say that students should be able to “Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.” Although ninth and twelfth grade students are asked to know the same concepts, they are required to know more about them. Students are introduced to the same standards year after year, but each year gain a deeper understanding of them as they expand on their previous learning.