Fraction is not a four letter word! Then why does it cause so many teachers and students to groan when that is the math topic of the day? Fractions are everywhere. Measurements, tools, music, sports, percentages, statistics, prices, food, and I could go on and on. We use fractions daily. So why such a sour face when I say the word?

My work with teachers this past year with the Common Core standards has resulted in the same question that other teachers across the nation are asking.  "What does Common Core look like in the classroom?"  

With the coming of the Common Core, many social studies teachers are busy figuring out just exactly how to implement them in their classrooms. One question I hear a lot is:

What does this sort of instruction actually look like?

Many years ago I memorized a quote by Dr.

Someone once said, “It is not change that kills -- it is the transitions”.   As I was reflecting on this quote, I thought of a few scenarios in my own path where this seems to fit very well. As many of you know, I am in the throes of an addition to my future home.  The building “event” lends itself to a plethora of struggles and stressors not to mention: inclement weather looms! Until everything once again has a place and the daily routine is running smoothly, everyone feels out of sorts, grumpy and unsettled.

This is one of my favorite photos of our four children for obvious reasons.  First, it shows how absolutely adorable they were at that age.  Second, it captures a specific moment in time so we will always remember it.  Third, it proves that they can all get along, at least long enough to snap a photograph.   Beyond those basic visual elements, they picture carries a deeper message for me as it encapsulates some beliefs and values about teaching and learning that are crucial to the successful implementation of the common core standards and assessments.

Two months ago, Jordyn Marie was born.  Nothing can match the joy of having a child, unless it is the birth of a grandchild.  If you ask me, she is pretty darn perfect, and as a devoted Nee'Nee' (my name for grandma) I would like to keep her that way.  I would like to make her life, most especially her school career, as smooth as possible.  Therefore, I have compiled a list for the future math teachers who will be tasked with ensuring Jordyn's math understanding.   Here are the top 10 things that her teachers need to make sure they are doing by 2018: 

We have spent a great deal of time “unpacking” the Common Core Standards and then discussing what implementation of those standards mean to our classrooms. As we continue to have conversations, we get a vague picture of what our classroom will look like, but we struggle to put those vague ideas into more concrete lessons.

Throughout my career, I have experienced teachers that say, their students can’t or their students are not developmentally ready. In fact, just recently I heard a teacher say the same thing about the new Common Core State Standards for math. The fact is...students are capable of mastering the CCSS math standards at the grade level for which they are written. The standards are evidence-based. 

As I'm working with educators across the US and Kansas, I find that many of us are trying to figure out how to juggle our new technology investments with the new Common Core Standards. I get asked about where will they fit together. How we can ensure that we're using the high-dollar investments to the best purpose to meet the standards.