Recently, I've been asked to outline the shifts in the ELA common core. And as I turn to grade actual student work, I can't help but feel a bit as though I've been pushed down this staircase of complexity. There are so many times when I wish I could do what all English teachers fantasize about: throw the papers down the stairs. The papers that make their way all the way to the bottom must be better developed -- or at least heavier -- and so they are awarded an A. Those that float to the top... well, somebody's got to be on the wrong side of the curve.
I've tried many strategies to make my comments meaningful. But research shows that students rarely read teacher comments. I've created videos and voice recordings, and these are much more effective. They are a little closer to a conference. But there's nothing that develops complex understanding more than one-on-one instruction. If only I could find the time. If only those standards did something to support educators and schools in created time and space for such writing conferencing. Well, as my sister, a primary teacher, sometimes reminds me, shift happens.
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