A major change for education overall is the new installment of Common Core. Common Core is a program that has been adopted state wide with the exception of Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, and Alaska. All states who have adopted this program will be held to standards that ensure that a student in Main will be learning the same thing as a student California. These standards were also made in a way to help the students become more college ready. In some areas they were seeing a very drastic jump in expectations and preparedness of the incoming college freshmen.
One of the biggest ways this new system affects Physical Education teachers in particular is by giving us better job security. There has been the debate in certain schools whether they should continue to fund physical education along with any of the arts programs. Having these Common Core Standards solidifies the fact that what we are teaching is important for the students to know and understand.
Another huge gain by adopting these standards will be the accountability it will put on the teacher to meet certain criteria. In the physical education field the difference in teacher who has been working for 20 plus years compared to and first year can be vastly different. Not always but in some cases the 20 plus teacher can become more relaxed and may take the "roll out the ball" approach. This approach is where the teacher simply just throws out the equipment and lets the students play games with little to no instruction or reasoning. Sometimes these teachers can be close minded to new ideas that a new incoming teacher will have as well. So these standards really help bridge that gap!
I definitely agree with you regarding the Common Core Standards holding teachers accountable. Many teachers who have been in the classroom for years are stuck in their old ways and are not willing to change. Students today learn in a different way than when we were in school, so teachers must adjust their teaching methods and lesson plans according to the needs of the students. The Common Core Standards will hopefully help improve the quality of education that our students are receiving.
ReplyDeleteMandie,
ReplyDeleteI like your comparison to seasoned instructors "rolling out the ball". When we get comfortable in our positions, we can often forget the inspiration part of our jobs. When we are inspired, we seem to put in a lot more concern and feedback. This program should hopefully help us in keeping accountable.
I think physical health is very important. It's interesting to know that something such as physical activity at a school could be eliminated. I'm a music major and I completely get how cutting funds can feel within a school system. Physical health among young children and adolescents is very important for their future health.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of the common core installment! I'm glad physical education continues to receive funding, and that expectations are still being held for teachers to who their students how to maintain enjoyable physical activity!
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with you about common core. It is a great guide for teachers as well as sets a known goal for students. As Chloe stated in the comment above there are many teacher who have been in the field for year that have a difficult time differentiating their instruction. Not only does that make it difficult for students to learn but also for future teachers of those students. If a student doesn't met the standards in the prior grade it is twice as hard the next educator to get that students to meet their standards for the current year.
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