is common core killing the creative writer?

Five years ago, the middle school where I teach fell behind. We were placed in the nation's Program Improvement status.

We had four years to get out, each year the state would raise our goal by ten percent. Imagine struggling in a marathon because you twisted your ankle. All your competitors' ankles are fine. They quickly get around corners, grab water and power snacks. You limp along, too late for a snack, too uncoordinated to grab the water.

In addition, your competitors have had personal trainers, healthy diets, secure home environments. You have not. You struggle. They don't. You get left behind.

Now imagine that every lap you run is ten feet longer than the one before. Come on, you can do it.

No, you can't.

Problem is, all runners aren't alike.

Neither are all kids. That's why the Common Core is killing creativity in our children.

I teach Creative Writing. It's my one elective. It's the one point in the day where all of my students in the room move at their own pace. There are no benchmarks. There are no tests. 

There is plenty of instruction and modeling by their teacher, but when it's time to write, it's all them. They have choice and voice in what they say, how they say it, how far they take it.

I accept all their work; they all pass.

This class is about taking the teacher's passion and nurturing it in our students. Every student in school takes this Fifth Period Elective. It's Pass/Fail. Nary a one fails. Nearly every kid says Fifth Period is their favorite class.

They learn chess, juggling, golf, coding, knitting, crafts, animal care, creative writing, and more.

Common Core is killing creativity, but we are bringing it back, one period at a time.

If you have a student in your house, find out what they're writing in class. Then ask them what they'd really like to write about.

If they're not journaling their own ideas, buy your child a journal (a simple composition book will do), and sit together at the end of each day and write.

Use Natalie Goldberg's rules of writing to get you started.

Creativity is not common; it needs to be nurtured.

Nurture your child's creativity before it dries to the core.

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