An attempt at taking the standards and making them meaningful

I am about to start a single year at a new to me type of curriculum in a grade level I have never worked in before. The curriculum is Mastery Learning and has much of its basis in common core. I spent some time last week collecting the the TSWs (the student will) and printing them all out for the subjects I will be responsible for. I will also take a gander at the subjects I am not responsible for to see where natural overlap might occur if my colleauges are into that kind of collaboration. My other schools have been based on collaborative learning and I had taught in a transdicipliary manner. This is my first time gig as a single subject teacher (and not being in elementary)- but lucky for me I have three subjects within a grade level and they lend themselves nicely to overlap.

Here’s hoping to collabroation in a stand-alone class. Awesome print by Anna Neilsen

Now I am starting the work of making them into “kind of” units that make sense if I want to approach them in more of a concept-based learning way. I am finding it more challenging with my ancient history course- but I’m hoping, my background in International relations, as a government employee, and as someone who has lived internationally most of my adult life helps to find ways to connect the current day to history. My challenge will be that I am only here for a year, many of my colleagues have been in a more traditional school environment, and many within this specific Mastery Learning model. I definitely have a high opinion of my style of teaching, and while I know I have a GREAT GREAT deal to learn within my style of teaching, I also have a very low opinion of how the teaching standards are structured for my school. Why am I bothering to teach at this school then you may ask? Well, I first need to make money so that we can afford a home when we move back to the United States, and my husband’s job ties us to our locations and his job pays for our children’s schooling, so while I currently am not pumped about the environment I am going into, I don’t actually have much of a choice on where to teach. I know every place has something to teach us and perhaps I keed to work on my openmindedness of what different structures have that may be something I had not considered before. But if I am told I need to do timed tests or fill in the blank answer sheets you may hear my scream of defiance echo through the land (seriously I will die on the timed-test hill- I hate them and there is no point and you cannot convince me otherwise…unless you have some really awesome data in which case….uh fine then….. ok share it with me….. and let’s chat…. but I doubt you have it ;)… )

Anyway, all of this long-winded note to say, I am restructuring an entire year’s curriculum to fit my teaching style which will also make more work for me than necessary to what my employer is asking of me. In fact, it is likely I will not teach this grade level again, and I will for sure not teach within this system again, but hey I can only live by walking the walk that I am always more than happy to talk. If you know of amazing resources or sites for ancient history and fiction or non-fiction ties into it for around that grade 7 age group- PLEASE share as I currently am starting with only what I know and no grade-level teammate to help me.

So the attempt to restructure standards begins….updates will come as the year goes on and I’m sure humble realizations will also follow….