In my last blog post, I wrote about books to read for pleasure while on vacation. Here, I am going to share 2 recommendations for books about implementing rigor in the classroom.
What is Rigor and Why is it Important?
Rigor is about higher-level learning. It means teachers have high expectations and create a classroom environment where their students are able to meet those expectations. Rigor involves challenging students to think critically and delve deeply into the material they are learning.
Implementing rigor in the classroom is important because it fosters the conditions that push students to reach their potential. Rigor is important because it asks students to interact with what they are learning in ways that stretch them academically. Students can demonstrate rigor through the kinds of assignments they complete.
Book Recommendations for Implementing Rigor in the Classroom
I recently read 2 books about rigor and found both very informative. They’re short, easy to read, and address different aspects of implementing rigor. Please click on the book titles for more info about each book and to purchase them.
(This post contains affiliate links. That means that I make a small commission if you purchase one or both of the books but it’s at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!)
Promoting Rigor Through Higher Level Questioning
(By Todd Stanley; 145 pages; copyright 2020; ISBN 978-1-618-21899-5)
Each of the 9 chapters in this book begins with an Essential Question that previews the topic of the chapter. At the end of each chapter, Reflection Questions help you review the content and how you can apply it to your own teaching context.
Chapters cover such topics as: The Difference between Difficulty and Rigor (Chapter 2), Building Question Awareness (Chapter 3), Using Bloom’s Taxonomy (Chapter 4), Writing Rigorous Questions (Chapter 7), Asking Higher Level Verbal Questions (Chapter 8), and Establishing a Rigorous Classroom Culture (Chapter 9). Throughout the book, lots of examples help explain what rigor is and how you can develop and incorporate it into your teaching.
The explanation of various types of questions in Chapter 3 is very helpful. Chapter 4 includes a concise and clear explanation of the revised Bloom’s taxonomy, with examples from the 4 content areas for each level. Concrete examples and explicit ways of how to ask higher level questions are offered in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 provides information on how to figure out the level of rigor in content standards and how to increase the level of rigor in them.
Why I recommend this book: The tone is accessible and isn’t dense with theory. Numerous examples from the content areas are provided to show how you can increase the level of rigor in your teaching. It’s a practical book with information you can implement right away.
Rigor in the 6–12 ELA and Social Studies Classroom: A Teacher Toolkit
(By Barbara R. Blackburn and Melissa Miles; 167 pages; copyright 2019; ISBN 978-1138480773)
This is a very practical book that focuses on implementing rigor in English and Social Studies classes so it is most appropriate if you teach one or both of those subjects. One thing to note is that although the book gives a URL to access free resources online, I was unable to find them when I brought up the website. Fortunately, however, all the resources are included in the print copy of the book.
There are 7 chapters in this book, including the Introduction which is actually the first chapter. Chapter 1 defines rigor and situates it in the context of teaching standards for language arts, social studies, and career readiness. This chapter also lists several myths about rigor and then proceeds to explain why they are myths.
Each of the 4 succeeding chapters then deals with a particular aspect of rigor: Environment (Chapter 2), Expectations (Chapter 3), Support (Chapter 4), and Demonstration of Learning (Chapter 5). Chapter 6 is about assessment and Chapter 7 is about collaboration. All the chapters except the first one end with 5 “Points to Ponder,” which are open-ended statements that you finish with your own ideas and thoughts; the statements are the same for all chapters but, obviously, your responses won’t be since they’ll address the info in the chapter you just read.
Boxes of information in the text highlight key features of sections. This is especially helpful because if you’re short on time, you can just read the boxed text although the rest of the material gives a fuller description and explanation of the particular topic being discussed. Examples from classroom teaching are interspersed throughout each chapter.
Why I recommend this book: This book includes loads of helpful charts about implementing rigor in English Language Arts and/or Social Studies classes. It includes not just examples of how to add rigor to your lessons but instructions for how to create each type of activity presented. This book is filled with ideas you can easily implement in your classroom.
Resource for Implementing Rigor in Your Classroom
One way to add rigor to your lessons is to have students complete self evaluations after finishing a unit of study. This resource, Student Self Evaluation Forms to Assess Projects, Curriculum Units, and Courses, asks students to respond to several questions about the work they did. Click HERE to get this resource.
Here’s what Donald said about this resource: Wow! You made my day. This is extremely well written, and exactly what I was looking for. I cannot believe I do not have to create this on my own. Again, wow!
You can have your students complete these forms in class or for homework and print and digital versions are included. By reflecting on how well they achieved the target objectives, what they did well, and what they could’ve done better, students use higher level thinking to assess their own work.
