We Owe It to Our Students and Our Teachers to De-emphasize Standards

As a high school history teacher, I struggled to balance Virginia's state standards (SOLs) standards with bringing history alive, instilling creativity, developing higher-order thinking skills, and building 21^st-century skills.

When push came to shove, the standard always won out. It was a constant source of frustration. 

As an administrator, I don't want my teachers to feel the same pressures to teach to the test. I've encouraged them to take risks, stretch themselves, try something new and sometimes even reinvent themselves. 

I owe it to them and we all owe it to our students to make school and learning enjoyable and engaging. 

Below is part of my weekly message to my staff.

Please know that I have complete confidence in you. In this era of standards and accountability, risk-taking can be daunting, but I’ll come back to a simple question, “Why did you become a teacher?”

I’m willing to bet that none of you answer, “So my students can pass a multiple choice test?”

So as you enter the second term, take a risk. Step out of your comfort zone. Bring your subject alive. Create lessons that embody your spirit, your passion and show why you became a teacher.

As we go forward, lets make it a goal/expectation that each of us tries one brand new lesson this term. Please invite me into your classroom when you try this new lesson.  I look forward to seeing your passion come alive.

Recently, I’ve seen several teachers—and more importantly, students—go beyond the standards.  These teachers recognized that the standards are simply a framework that shouldn't restrict our teaching. Their lessons were filled with creativity. The questions being asked didn't have right/wrong answers. The end result: students who were enthusiastic about learning and a classroom filled with pride and passion.

In addition to applauding your efforts, I want to encourage you to take risks. Step out of your comfort zones. Try something new. Diverge from the pacing guide. Challenge yourself and your students. 

So as you enter the second term, take a risk. Step out of your comfort zone. Bring your subject alive. Create lessons that embody your spirit, your passion and show why you became a teacher.

As we go forward, lets make it a goal/expectation that each of us tries one brand new lesson this term. Please invite me into your classroom when you try this new lesson.  I look forward to seeing your passion come alive.