Why Teachers Will Love the Common Core State Standards

You’ve no doubt heard about the Common Core State Standards. The voluntary, state-led effort to establish academic standards in 44 states includes high benchmarks and a commitment to honing students’ critical and analytical skills. If implemented well, they hold great potential for making sure all our students are college- and career-ready once they graduate from high school.

Much of what has been written about Common Core has focused on the students, which is understandable, as they are the recipients of the instruction. There are also, however, great benefits for the teachers responsible for implementing these new standards in the classroom. In fact, we think that if you love teaching, you’ll love Common Core. What follows is a list of the top five reasons teachers like these new academic standards.

1. If you think the best approach to teaching is in a collaborative setting, then you’ll love Common Core because…

The standards are best  implemented through collaboration across grade levels and subjects. Under the new standards, teachers are encouraged to use innovative instructional strategies and methods designed to meet the needs of diverse learners.

2. If you love experiential learning, you’ll love Common Core because…

Their implementation doesn’t really allow for a “skill and drill” approach to learning. We all know how ineffectual rote memorization is when it comes to developing superior critical thinking skills and being college- and career-ready. The Common Core places a premium on these skills, which can best be taught using an experiential approach to learning.

3. If you teach English Language Learner (ELL) students, you’ll love Common Core because…

The Common Core State Standards stress development of language skills across all subjects and all domains (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). This is a significant element of Common Core, especially given the ever-increasing number of ELL students in need of adequate and equitable education.

4. If you like seeing students engaged, you’ll love Common Core because…

They  demand that children be active participants in their own education. Gone are the days of talking at kids in the hopes they are absorbing the information. Common Core State Standards have engagement at their roots because study after study has shown that active  engagement of students during the learning process is a key indicator for success.

5. If you want your kids prepared for college and career, then you’ll love Common Core State Standards because…

They are aligned to higher education standards that demand the skills students need to be successful in college and in their careers.

The Common Core State Standards are our best hope for ensuring our kids are well-served and college-ready, but we’ll need all our teachers on board for this effort to be truly successful.