Raise the Level of Content

The first way to enhance rigor in your classroom is to raise the level of the content you teach. As we have already discussed, many of our students perceive our instruction as too easy. In The Silent Epidemic, 66% of the dropouts said they would have worked harder if expectations were higher. As Gabrielle shared in chapter 1, The Case for Rigor, many students perceive lower-level classes as simply “teaching nothing over and over again.” However, I don’t believe students must move to a higher-level class to gain more understanding. A truly rigorous classroom challenges all students with new content, despite any label. We’ll look at five strategies that can help you raise the level of content in your class.