At my school site, we had the "Common Core" conversation once. Then, we moved onto the next new idea. This is my first time revisiting Common Core standards sine it first came out.

I am really surprised that this was even possible. ELA is so demanding already. Praise to the teachers who are able to include social justice into their classrooms!

Change requires public support. We have a dual immersion school for Spanish and Vietnamese because the public demanded it. In this case, change came about because of public pressure.

So many times do I hear teachers say, "That makes me feel better about myself" or "I already do that" after a meeting or training. We have selective hearing and teachers often focus on the part that supports what they already do so that they don't have to change their practices.

This reminds me of emotional appeal. By getting students emotionally charged, educators motivate students to take action. The action that takes is often in the hand of the students.

When a crisis occurs, we are often told to avoid the topic or say very little. This method suggests the opposite. Through discussion details unraveled along with thought processes.

How do you even begin the deconstruction process for students and for adult learners (teachers)?

This is my favorite statement because it is such a radical approach to education. It calls for a complete shift in everything I currently practice as a teacher.

This sentence sticks out to me because most teachers will hate this process. Teachers are so used to being in control; one of the reasons I don't want to have a student teacher because I can't let go of the reigns.

This requires deep, internal exploration and reflection on the part of the teacher. No wonder the system remains unchanged. It is easier to stick with what is already there.

Teachers need to observe each other more in the classroom. We did that once as a school, and it was amazing! We learned so much from watching each other teach. Sadly, we never repeated that learning process for teachers.

I whole heartedly agree. This is buy in. Students are more motivated to work if they get to choose their topic.

This is my personal goal: to use my experience to motivate my peers to change. It is easier to teach the same lesson year after year, so I have a lot of convincing to do. The change needs to begin with me.

The curriculum we use to teach needs to reflect the diverse backgrounds, too. Most texts I currently use are from the perspective of the dominant group. We need more texts told from the minority perspective.

This requires educators to reverse assimilation. Instead of pushing "mainstream ways" onto students, teachers respect and accept students "as is."

There was a huge debate when AP courses were opened to all. In the past, students who took honors courses were slotted to take AP courses, which excluded the majority of ethnic students. Now, anyway can take an AP course, which is a good move towards equal access to higher education.

Merits are so subjective in education. An essay, for example, is often scored according to a teacher's personal preference. My team calibrates annually, but our perception of a passing score usually varies by teacher.

This was troubling to me because it describes my poor attempt to include diverse texts into my class. I realize that I need to do more than pick stories written by women and ethnic writer.

This sentence emphasizes the importance for teachers to be aware of personal biases and how prejudices can negate the positive work being done.