Bringing Back the Basics

     Looking back on what school was like when I was in it, I find much has changed. The curriculum has changed. What we thought was a strong life skill to have, no longer seems suitable for the classroom today. There are aspects of the curriculum that have never changed, yet we have taken them out of our everyday teachings.

    Cursive is a core learning trait that has never been removed from the curriculum yet it has been removed from the classroom. This is a life skill to have not only inside the classroom but in everyday life. Without this trait how are we supposed to teach these children how to read the English language written in another font, or sign documents in the future. 

    Spelling is a trait that should have never been taken out of the classroom.  Children learned a number of words throughout the week and then were tested at the end of said week.  This helped those children learn how to spell those words correctly and use them in sentences.  Along with weekly spelling tests, children had access to such resources as dictionaries.  This taught children how to use those resources to complete a task properly.  Spelling is a necessity in life and it is a skill that will never go unused. 

    What happened to Basic math? The change in the way multiplication and division is taught, has left children confused.  They come home to care givers asking for help, who in turn can only complete the questions as they were taught - in a simpler manner.  This leaves both caregiver and child frustrated. Why have time tables become obsolete?  Memorizing those tables provided children with the knowledge of being able to multiply without using any aids.  Today's child need only ask "Siri" and then get their answer.  Technology is evolving in today's society, but does not mean it needs to be the main source of children's learning development. 

    In conclusion, we as educators choose to run our own classroom. We can choose to follow the curriculum front to back or add in our own twist. I can definitely say that these are three learning objectives I want to bring back to my classroom. I want to be able to teach my students a skill that they will use in their lives.  

Olivia.T@ NU