About Teaching the Core

These videos show real-life classrooms, with all the real-life challenges and successes found in daily interactions between students and teachers. These resources were created for and previously found on Teaching the Core, a website funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. This collection of classroom videos and associated lesson materials was developed in 2013 to support K-12 educators implementing the Common Core State Standards. As all of the participants were at that time early in their own work with those standards, these videos were not intended to be exemplars. Rather, they showed real-life classrooms, with all the real-life challenges and successes found therein.  

These videos show  teachers who work in a range of contexts, applying different teaching styles, and using different curricula. They reflect the reality of classroom teaching, which includes practice that is continually evolving. Instructional decisions -- including planning, teaching strategies, routines, etc. -- will represent a variety of pedagogical approaches. Standards do not specify teaching methods, and aligned instruction can take different forms; Student Achievement Partners does not endorse one approach over another.     

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust funded the development of this collection of classroom videos and associated lesson materials to help K-12 educators implement the instructional shifts required by the CCSS. This project was completed with support from Teachscape and The Danielson Group.

We would also like to recognize the courage these teachers have displayed, allowing these videos to be created and shared, so that we can all benefit and learn from their experiences. We offer sincere gratitude to all the teachers who participated in this project.