Today we are discussing standards in the classroom. In my service learning placement Mrs. Porter always makes sure to make her purpose very clear. Every day she writes a learning objective or "target" up on the board in her classroom. This helps her, as well as the students, keep a focus on what is important for each day. That is just on a small scale!On a larger scale, perhaps coming from Utah Core Standards, is something I have also seen in her classroom. Math, Reading, and Science, seems to have a bigger focus. However, subjects like art and history also have a place! During one of my volunteering sessions the teacher tested the children on that weeks spelling list, checking to see if her students were up to par with where they needed to be. I've seen reading tests, math quizzes, etc. Like I said, some subjects get more attention than others. I believe the reason being is that math and English, can help in other areas as well. They are like building blocks to help the kids excel when they learn about other topics.
I've heard from several teachers that standardized testing has positives and negatives. Sometimes it helps the teachers evaluate their classroom and decide what they need to spend more time on. It helps them be efficient in knowing what needs to be taught or what is expected. However, sometimes it causes the students stress. They worry about test scores rather than just learning. It can also cause teachers to lose creativity in the classroom.
Overall, testing and standards in education are needed. However, that doesn't need to take the fun out of learning, or the creativity out of teaching. My placement has taught me it should be used as a tool.
Until next time,
Megan
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