In planning your instruction, how do you use the state standards? Do you plan everything out and then see how the standards fit in? Or do you start with the standards and plan around them?
I am curious because I am currently planning my first unit for teaching in January. I am planning out evolution unit and my mentor teacher has me beginning with the standards. I had to look at the standards, choose how they fit together, when I wanted to teach them, and then chose activities that would satisfy those standards. I find myself really struggling because I feel stuck in a box. I don't agree with the state's assessment of evolution. I don't think that molecular evidence is not an option in teaching evolution. Modern-day evolution is founded in population genetics and molecular evidence! If I chose to leave that out in lieu of something else the state found more important, I would be doing my students a great disservice.
Is anyone else struggling with this? How are you working with it? It can be very frustrating having to teach something when you know it is not nearly as important as something you had to leave out. It's also frustrating to start to lose your creativity because you're stuck in a box.
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i've had the same problem. i already know what content should be presented, but the standards are either too vague or too specific. should i go more in-depth? i've had a tough go of it too, shannon.
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