Teachers, Take This Year to Focus on the Essentials

Don’t worry about cramming it all in; focus on what you really want students to be able to do

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

Let’s stop and think for a moment. What is really important, in terms of a student’s learning? What is most important?

A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of standards-based grading. Now, to any teacher who’s been around for a while, this is nothing new. And yet, it’s still not widely practiced. Yes, there are Common Core standards, and state standards, and literacy standards, and on and on. But in this crazy marathon called the school year, where teachers are off with a bang, PLCs, IEGs, IEPs and 504s, MTSS, and more nipping at their heels, a teacher finds it tough to step off the track for a minute to catch their breath and think for a second. But we must if we are going to meet students’ needs this year.

Every other week, I go up to my daughter’s school to pick up a clutter of worksheets and papers. Every morning, my daughter and I sit down at her device to go through her day and write down a list of tasks and assignments she should do in her planner. We also write down her Zoom times. Throughout the day, she works her way through the list, requiring my intervention on some, and not so much with others. But again, I have the luxury of…