Standards and PLN's

It might be hard to believe, but this photo was created and is owned by me.

I think it is a lofty goal to tackle both standards and PLN's in the same post, but because I want to please my professor, try, I will do. Let me just start by confessing that I have never wanted to quit college as much as the day that I was introduced to the Utah Common Core. How the hell do they expect a teacher to remember all of that, much less implement it effectively into a year's instruction? Can we please simplify, I'm starting to feel like education is more complicated than the Boy Scouts of America! It's not that I don't believe that standards are good. I think teachers being on the same page and having similar goals is fan-freaking-tastic. It's just that I think the current set of standards are too lengthy. I wish they would break them up into smaller chunks per grade. I may feel differently after actually teaching, but from what I've heard from many other professionals, I don't think I am too alone. I also totally confess that the standards might be the absolute hardest for English teachers -- everything should support the language skills, right? Can't we just give one English standard to each elective course? I've been told I will have them memorized and down to a science, and I am anxiously awaiting that day, but I've been making the same dinner rolls for twenty years and I still have to reference my recipe every time.

So, to start this post, I am imagining myself as a totally overwhelmed recent grad who still has yet to tackle the standards that take all the fun from my job. What do I do? I guess the best answer is to use the resources at hand. Supposedly, one of the best is the PLN (Professional Learning Network -- man teachers love their acronyms.) To me, a PLN is like my great group of girlfriends. Who did I call when my husband went crazy and I didn't know what to do? My social worker friend, Bobbi. When my daughter got married and I needed help with the food at her reception, Christine, my friend who is a Pampered Chef pro, was the one to get the job done. I would be up the river without a paddle without my girlfriends. I am pretty sure that being a teacher without a PLN would feel as hopeless as me alone at book club.

For the most part, research is in favor of standards based instruction, and so am I. When I think of instruction without standards, it takes me back to my desk in 5th grade drooling on my arm while Mrs. Mclvayne read aloud each chronicle of Narnia. And that was the year I learned how long a chroncile could be. Long enough for a really great hour-long nap. Every. single. damn. day.  And, I still can't tell you anything about those books, except for what I have seen in the movies. Standards are vital. More important than standards though are teachers who can wrap them up in a pretty little package that students will want to open and play with. My goal with standards is to be that kind of teacher. I want them playing with W.10.2 without even knowing what hit them. I'll be totally stoked at the end of each class period as my students discover that once again I was able to hide another English green into that class's delicious morning smoothie. My goal when it comes to my PLN is to have a strong one, but not let it weigh me down. Perfectionism is a big problem for me, and just like I've done with 80% of my facebook friends, I will need to learn to manage which networkees I can trust and which just drag me down. Some, I will want coming to lunch with me every day and cheering me on, and others I might need to filter. I think I will really enjoy the digital PLN more than the small one I am forced to meet with every week at school because let's face it, there are a lot of teachers who are total idiots. Hopefully I will have the luck of working directly with some fantastic ones, but in case I don't, I know I can always find what I need online.