Part 2: Seven Myths about Rigor
Published December 10, 2015
The following article was written by WCS Professional Development Director Laurette Carle.
(from Rigor in Your Classroom: A Toolkit for Teachers by Barbara R. Blackburn, Taylor & Francis, 2014)
- Lots of homework is a sign of rigor.
- Rigor means doing more.
- Rigor is not for everyone.
- Providing support means lessening rigor.
- Resources equal rigor.
- Standards alone take care of rigor.
- Rigor is just one more thing to do.
The statements above are commonly held false ideas about rigor that often get in the way of truly delivering a rigorous curriculum to every one of our students. It is a myth to think we can simply buy a new program or resource in order to offer a rigorous curriculum. It is much more complex than that.
Students are all different, so challenging learning activities must vary. Simply assigning more of a low-level activity won’t increase the rigor. It is the quality of the activity that matters more than the quantity. The level of rigor is most often connected to the level of thinking that it requires and the opportunity for students to extend their thinking not only within the content area but across content areas. Making more connections to other learning deepens understanding of key concepts. Asking students to answer why questions and explain their reasoning will often increase the level of rigor. Asking them to speak and write more will also increase the rigor.
As our teachers work to assess the current level of rigor in their lessons and adjust the level where necessary, they also plan ways to provide scaffolding and support to help all students find success in this challenging work. Focusing on rigor is not an extra program or thing to do, but rather a way for us to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn at high levels.