Lesson Content & Rigor: Is it Grade Appropriate

Lesson Content & Rigor: 
Is it Grade Appropriate

As I watched my almost two year old daughter singing along to Barney and Friends (video is below), I realized that I could use this song in my high school math class.  What?!  Wait, did I just say that I could use a video that my daughter is watching in a classroom with kids that are about eight times her ages. 

Students are being taught many lessons they already know because as educators we "think" that they don't know the material.  At time this is true, but shouldn't we as educators want to challenge our students to keep up with the correct grade level content and rigor?   Yes, we should.

So, then why are we teaching students to name shapes in a high school geometry class?  Barny and Friends are currently teaching this to my daughter thirteen years before she will be asked in high school to regurgitate this information.

Educators can fix the process of re-teaching already learned material by expecting students to have the prerequisite knowledge of your course.  And if students do not, then this is a great time to give students video links of lessons for them to watch at home.  There are many places on the internet to find teaching lessons on almost every mathematical concept.  Or if technology is limited in your teaching area, spend a few minutes with your students who are struggling to teach them the material they are lacking.

In closing, we as educators must keep our lesson on-grade-level and push for high levels of rigor within each lesson.  


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