Am I really implementing Common Core Standards?

-By Matthew Massey 

How are the new Common Core Standards going to change my mathematics classroom?  This is a question that I struggled with for months.  It took a while for me to even figure out what the heck these new standards meant!  While I was focused on the “Content Standards” I finally realized the key is the “Practice Standards.”   These eight standards are the same for grades K-12.  Their center is a student-focused classroom, built on students uncovering mathematical concepts.  The teacher is not the focus. The teacher is there to guide students as they travel down the conceptual paths.  I finally figured out the CCS is not just about what to teach, but how to teach.

I designed a rubric (will be linked under CC resources soon) for teachers to self-evaluate implementation of the Common Core ideals specified in the Practice Standards.  I have evaluated myself and been evaluated by peers, and each time I learned ways in which I can do better. 

I do not think it is possible to implement the Common Core Standards and ideals without rigorous self-evaluation.  Hopefully, this can help other teachers implement the Mathematics Practice Standards which is the very fabric of the Common Core Standards.