Standards-Based Classrooms

Dear Dominique Dawg,

Welcome to Paula Rutherford School. You are a great asset to our faculty and it is also nice to have a fellow UGA graduate to work with. I am sure we will have lots of fun sharing Athens stories for many years to come.

Being a first year teacher brings many challenges. College does not prepare you for everything that you will encounter as a teacher. Remember to roll with the punches and not get too stressed. While it may seem like you are alone, always remember that every teacher was once in your shoes. We are always willing to help—don’t ever hesitate to ASK.

A standards-based classroom involves preparation and planning. However, I am sure you are probably already doing most everything it requires—now the key is to package it and present it according to our administrator’s guidelines.

Here are a couple of pointers to make your life a little less stressful when coordinating and implementing your standards-based classroom.

Gather all of your resources—print out multiple copies of your standards for each class that you teach. These can be found on the Georgia Department of Education website—link off of MCSD staff page. (This semester I have three different classes—two of which have standards while the third is still using QCC’s.) Also found on this website are great teaching ideas incorporating the standards. You will find that there are lots of great ideas on the web. Another wonderful idea tool is the Atlas Rubicon Curriculum Mapping site. The key is don’t try to reinvent the wheel when you have resources available. As you become more familiar with your profession, then you can venture out. Take it slow. Rely on your mentor—don’t be afraid to ask questions. Muscogee County provides a great service by providing mentors for new teachers. This way you will never feel all alone—there is always someone that you can turn to for answers or just to vent. Mentor teachers have years of experience and can offer valuable insight into different situations—thus making your life a little easier. Talk with your department chair—this person can help you with your specific subject area. They may have some valuable resources to share with you.
J Post the standards—at Jordan we have a specific blackboard configuration that we must follow. Part of that configuration is posting the standard being covered that day. Even though I prepare a Daily Document each day for my computer students to read on their computer (their own personal screen), I still have to physically write the material on my classroom whiteboard to meet the requirements of our administration.

Discuss the standards—start and end each period discussing the standard so that students understand what they are going to learn and why it is important to them. Sometimes the language that is used in the standard can be confusing so you may have to break it down and explain the words that they do not understand.

Word Wall—post the important words for your lesson in a special place. This way student s can easily look at the vocabulary for that lesson to help them better understand what is being taught.

Evaluate students on the standards—students should be assessed on what they have learned. This can be accomplished in many different ways—you don’t always have to give them a test. They enjoy projects and unconventional methods—be creative!

Standards-based classrooms are in place to help students master the material and skills—once you get the hang of it then I am sure you will find it to be a breeze. Always remember—no question is ever dumb! That is one way that we learn—by asking. I am always available to assist you and look forward to working with you.

Amy Strickland