Chapter 6: Accountability for High Standards

Abstract
This chapter is made up of three basic concepts: holding students accountable, holding ourselves accountable, and responding to standards. In the section about holding students accountable, Wormeli discusses th importance of encouraging students to be more responsible in school. For example, he believes that extra credit assignments should never be given. Instead, we should encourage students to revise what they have already done. This will get students thinking about how they can improve this time, and hopefully the next time as well. In the second section, Wormeli discusses our responsibilities as teachers. It is important to teach in a way that meets the needs of everyone. He also suggests giving students a chance to evaluate the teacher. Finally, he tells us what to do if we have a hard time rationalizing our lessons. In the third and final section, Wormeli wraps it all up with a discussion about standards. He provides a list of steps that can help us stay on track when trying to meet state standards.

Reflection

I really liked Wormeli's argument about extra credit work. By allowing students to do extra credit assignments, it only teaches them that they can do something completely unrelated in order to make up for what they should be learning. It is important to give students the chance to revise because most things, if any at all, aren't perfect the first time around. Extra credit work negatively encourages students to toss the original assignment to the side and create something completely different. But when students revise an essay, they are using skills that can be applied to a number of different assignments, not just the one they are working on currently.