It is clear that the Common Core State Standards are soon going to be adopted and implementation of the standards required in most, if not every, state in America.  The Common Core Standards Initiative (CCSSI) notes that 45 states, the District of Columbia, and four territories have already adopted the standards (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2012, In the States). The choice of whether or not to implement the standards is almost fully out of the hands of classroom educators. So, it seems reasonable that the focus of educator attention should be shifting to methods to successfully implement the standards.

One of the first things a classroom teacher will notice when looking at the standards documents from CCSSI is that there are a large volume of standards for each subject and grade level. This can be overwhelming. It is a good idea for educators implementing these standards to practice chunking, a technique that is often taught to learners when memorizing large volumes of information. This practice teaches learners to group similar ideas into larger chunks of information that are more readily stored in the brain and, thus, more easily retrieved. The simple concept is that it is easier to memorize three ideas than thirty-three. In application of implementing the Common Core State Standards, the standards need not to be taught in isolation from one another. Indeed, though they are explicitly identified as discreet ideas, the reality is that they are not; concepts and ideas overlap and intertwine with one another. By proactively chunking related ideas, educators can not only address more of the standards in less time than attempting to introduce, reinforce, and master each one individually, they also provide more authentic learning experiences to students.

This is not to say that some foundational ideas, particularly when first being introduced, should not be discreetly mentioned and given extra time and attention. The challenge is for educators to determine what are the needs of their unique learners and to adjust the available and required time as necessary. Notice that this decision rests in the hands of classroom teachers. This is where the how of teaching enters and where external influences regarding the what of teaching should cease. Teaching is an art form and professional educators whether by formal training or by experiential learning need to have the freedom to practice this art form. By allowing teachers to demonstrate the art of teaching, the standards can be innovatively enacted and student learning increased. Professional classroom teachers know their students. They know when to move ahead and when to slow down based on the unique needs of their pupils. By allowing classroom teachers freedom in the how of teaching, student success is far more likely than it is from external mandates that every classroom be run exactly in the same manner without regard to the unique individuals who occupy that classroom as learners.

References

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2012). Common core state standards initiative. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/.