Rigor

Why Rigor?

100

My most memorable teachers were also the ones who held me to high standards and believed I could do it. As I work with schools, I am privileged to see teachers who make a difference, even in difficult circumstances. One teacher always has made a difference in the life of a student. One teacher always will make a difference in the life of a student.

What is the power of an Individual Teacher?

200

I was assigned to teach two classes of remedial students. They came into class with a defeated, despondent attitude. Over the course of the year, my students slowly responded to my belief that they were capable of learning. It took time, but they learned to believe in themselves, in part because I believed in them.

What is students reflect our perspective of them?

300

Often, I meet teachers who believe they have no control over anything, but that is not true. Focus on your choices. For example, if a parent will not help work with child at home, we need to focus on what we can do at school for the child. When you focus on what you can control, you'll feel more productive.

What is focus on what we can control?

400

This focus has shifted to grade ranges other than high school. Many ninth grade students according to the SREB's report, Preparing Middle School Students for High School Success, are not prepared for the more demanding course work required of high school students.

What is the call for increased rigor?

500

Rigor is at the center of the standards, and much of the push for the standards came from a concern about the lack of rigor in many schools today, as well as the need to prepare students for college and careers.

What is the Common Core Standards?

Myths about Rigor

100

For many people, the biggest indicator of rigor is the amount of this required by students. Some teachers pride themselves on the amount of this expected of their students. Some of it is just "busywork."

What is homework?

200

Doing this so that students can learn at high levels is central to the definition of rigor. As teachers design lessons moving students toward more challenging work, they must provide this as they learn.

What is supporting students and/or scaffolding learning?

300

Students live up to or down to our expectations of them. Each student can complete rigorous work at high levels, whether they are advanced or a student with special needs. Does the end result look different for those two students? Yes, but any student can do this with the right amount from a teacher.

What is reaching higher levels with the right support?

400

This is ALWAYS the key. It's not the textbook, or the latest program, or even a policy. It's how the textbook or program is used with the students. It's how it's implemented.

What is the teacher?

500

Rigor does not have to be this. Rigor is increasing the level of expectation of what you are already doing. If you are teaching vocabulary, instead of asking students to write the definition of the word, ask them to write a riddle. It's the same end result, but at higher level of Bloom's.

What is adding more to the plate?

Characteristics of Rigor

100

First, it starts with the decision that every student you teach has the potential to be the best, no matter what. Second, the Common Core Standards provide a clear set of expectations for increased rigor. Third, it's more than what you teach, it's how you teach and how students show you they understand.

What is creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels?

200

Analyze, Infer, Produce, and Evaluate are a few examples of this. The correlation highlights the types of complex thinking that helps students demonstrate learning in a rigorous classroom environment.

What is higher-level questioning?

300

A teacher varies the content (why), process (how), or product (demonstration of learning) of instruction to enhance student understanding.

What is Differentiated Instruction (DI)?

400

In sports, there are basic warm-up exercises and drills for every player on the team. Good coaches also work with each player during practice to increase strengths and strengthen any weaknesses. During instruction we need to do the same thing. We should teach core information to everyone, and adjust our lessons based on what we know about our students to help every individual reach his or her potential.

What is differentiation?

500

It is creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels.

What is Rigor?

Supporting Students to Learn at High Levels

100

It is critical that we craft lessons that move students to more challenging work while simultaneously providing ongoing scaffolding to support them as they learn. We simply cannot increase our expectations without helping students learn to move with us to those higher levels. Rigorous lessons must incorporate these three elements. In the most effective classrooms, all three elements are linked together.

What is Rigor, Motivation, and Engagement?

200

I learned it was more important for my students to be this intrinsically, and that my job was to create an environment in which they were more likely to be this. Students will have this when they value what they are doing and when they believe they have the chance for success.

What is motivation?

300

Students need to achieve this in order to build a sense of confidence, which is the foundation for willingness to try something else. That in turns begins a cycle that results in higher levels of this, both in academic performance and college and career readiness. This builds upon each other, and the achievements of small goals or tasks are building blocks to larger ones.

What is Success?

400

What degree students are involved in and participating in the learning process. How can I adjust this lesson to increase this?

What is Student Engagement?

500

Two feelings students associate this when given challenging work when it is accompanied by appropriate support. Students are very insightful; if you give them busy work, they immediately recognize it for what it is. But if you engage them in authentic, real-life problem solving at high levels of challenge, they know you believe in them and respect them.

What is student success and satisfaction?

Rigor Does Not Stand Alone

100

In order to effectively increase the rigor in your classroom, it is essential to incorporate these two elements.

What is student motivation and engagement?

200

If we want students to show us they understand what they learned at a high level, these must be designed to provide students the opportunity to demonstrate they have mastered new content.

What is an assessment?

300

You may chose to use a test to check for mastery of content, but doing this will allow for alternatives to move beyond testing. This will produce quality, sometimes from unexpected resources.

What is varying the types of assessments?

400

This type of assessment will help you understand what your students know and don't know, so that you can adjust your instruction to help them learn more effectively.

What is a formative assessment?

500

Raise the level of content Increase complexity Give appropriate support and guidance Open your focus Raise expectations

What are ways to increase RIGOR?