I happened across the Common Core website and took a look around the FAQ page. http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/frequently-asked-questions/#faq-2304
The following question in orange is one of my favorites.
Do the standards tell teachers what to teach? YES. Because the core is the official authority on the what the student needs to learn, the core tells the teachers what concepts to teach and when to teach them.
(Question not asked) Doesn't this limit the teachers freedom? YES The Core limits the teacher's freedom by overlooking their individual professional judgement, on what needs to be taught when, and excludes the significance of other concepts the teacher may find necessary to be introduced for the purpose of their class.
But I have translated those previous answers from their answer. So what does their answer say?
Do the standards tell teachers what to teach?
Teachers know best about what works in the classroom. That is why these standards establish what students need to learn, but do not dictate how teachers should teach. Instead, schools and teachers decide how best to help students reach the standards.
Teachers know best about what works in the classroom. That is why these standards establish what students need to learn, but do not dictate how teachers should teach. Instead, schools and teachers decide how best to help students reach the standards.
What type of answer is that?
1) Non-sequitur :
Does it tell teachers what to teach? It does not tell teachers how to teach.
Does it tell teachers what to teach? It establishes what students need to learn.
Does it tell teachers what to teach? The schools and teachers decide how to help the students reach the what.
It is a yes or no question. It does not answer the question asked. The appropriate answer should look something like this. It (does/does not) tell teachers what to teach, where the parts of speech are arranged so the response answers the question asked.
2) Cowardly:
It avoids giving an answer.
3) Touchy Feely:
It overlooks the teachers authority and training to know what the student needs to learn and limits their freedom, so it praises teachers for their expertise, then it, then praises it again.
4)Embarrassing
If a teacher does not know what a student needs to learn, I don't think she should be teaching how.
3) Touchy Feely:
It overlooks the teachers authority and training to know what the student needs to learn and limits their freedom, so it praises teachers for their expertise, then it, then praises it again.
4)Embarrassing
If a teacher does not know what a student needs to learn, I don't think she should be teaching how.
In conclusion I believe the real answer to the question can be found in not what they said in their answer but by how they responded. By analyzing the grammatical dissonance between the question and answer, by looking at the consequence of the grammatical dissonance, by understanding the meaning of the sentences and words and acknowledging their ordering and how that made me feel, and by my human experience of teachers I see the answer to be one derived from fear and possibly guilt.
Q: Does it tell teachers what to teach?
A: This question makes us feel uncomfortable. We don't want to admit that it limits the teachers freedom.
Q: Does it tell teachers what to teach?
A: This question makes us feel uncomfortable. We don't want to admit that it limits the teachers freedom.
