I was never a natural classroom teacher.

But I survived and got the highest evaluation scores for several years because I focused on what I am good at: finding tools that will make my teaching life easier. One of that tool is called the Core Content Connectors or CCC.

It was supposed to be for the severely disabled students only, but I had an AHA moment and applied it to ALL my students with learning gaps.

So what is the Core Content Connector?

It starts with the Common Core Standards

Let me start with the Common Core Standards which we all know. Think of the grade level standard as the destination. Sometimes, it is easier to think of it as a straight road with exact steps. It isn't. It's like a curving road where students start from different places.

And here lies the problem, teachers know what to teach, but because students come from different places, we have to prepare different lessons and interventions.

Road = Learning Progression | CCC = Ready Made Steps

As I wrote before, educational experts prepared resources to teach severely disabled students, grade level standards. In order to do this, they created a Learning Progression Framework (LPF) and the Core Content Connectors. The LPF is a pathway to the standard. It is like a road where you can lead your student. From there, he can travel towards the destination (standard). Meanwhile, the CCC are the ready-made steps. They connect one level to the next within the road laid out by the LPF.

You can learn more about how I used the CCC in teaching HS Math in the links below. Or visit the article version of this atomic essay in Medium which will have live links to the CCC and Learning Progression Framework.