In the meantime, enjoy the responses I have made to other prompts.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

My Take on the Common Core

As a teacher of middle school math
With change, I sincerely agreed.
Our students were weak in their skills
Our curriculum sorely in need.

On top of the shortfalls at home
The fact that was also a shame –
When students moved into our town
Their skill sets were never the same.

To conceive of a nationwide plan
Was brilliant (and way overdue)
But putting it into effect
Was commonly difficult too!

I love what the Core tries to do –
Develop a much deeper hold
Of concepts kids need to advance,
Discover instead of be told.

To process what they need to know,
To build on a base grade by grade.
I wish we had time to explore
Foundations once bases are laid.

Though claims were they’d lighten the load
Of concepts we needed to teach,
We still have an ocean of thoughts,
A target we don’t always reach.

The tests, though the questions are great,
Have issues to fix as we go.
By staggering test-taking times
Some takers can share what they know.

But trust me, I favor the Core,
The best set of standards by far
We just need to work out the kinks.
Let’s raise and not lower the bar.




This is my "review" for NaPoWriMo.net. This is our second to the last day to celebrate National Poetry Month.


No comments:

Post a Comment