Core Knowledge Wall of Wisdom

Photo: At a glance students, parents and educators can assess the entire academic school year At a glance students, parents and educators can assess the entire academic school year

Right outside her office door, director of Elementary Education Christy Hutchinson of Lincoln Charter School CFA watched as students, parents, and staff spontaneously gathered to admire and debate the newly displayed Core Knowledge Wall of Wisdom. Six months in the making, the wall reflects the school’s mission to define the curriculum plan, a step toward LCS-CFA’s ultimate goal of becoming an Official Core Knowledge School.

The impetus behind the display was staff communication; it is one of the ways teachers can reference material from other grade levels, view their own year at a glance and, ultimately, illustrate that this is how LCS-CFA implements Core Knowledge.

That the display would attract a crowd of students and parents was unanticipated, a credit to the benefits of this content-rich curriculum. Out of view of the small tornado of enthusiastic onlookers, Mrs. Hutchinson listened in on their candid, enthusiastic remarks: “I didn’t know that grade studied the human body—we do too.”

“Oh, we have even more to add to this! Wait—I could share planets with that grade too—maybe we can combine tutoring with the two groups.”

“My kid is going to learn all of this. No way!”

At one point Mrs. Hutchinson looked up from a phone call to notice a group of 11 students at the wall. Their discussions circled around the Civil War unit: Was it really before Civil Rights? Did they really take the test in February, or was it March? “The most precious comments and inspiration came from listening to the students’ lively debate,” she said. The kids popped in from the hall with “Check this out; look what we get to learn next year!” And, “Did you know that kindergarteners learn about continents? We do that too!”

The students began to go straight to work on a fort in the middle of her room, “Let’s play school,” one suggested. “Can I teach Core?”

Mrs. Hutchinson reflected, “At this moment, it became crystal clear why we teach. And even more empowering is to know that what is being taught is working.”