Because of the emphasis the Common Core State Standards place on critical thinking and making sure students understand how they arrived at their answers, lessons are becoming much more like two-way conversations, rather than one-way lectures. "It shouldn't be quiet when the teacher is giving the lesson," said Chaparral Elementary School teacher Lynn Takacs. "We want them to be active, to be giving input. The kids will say to each other, 'Hey, I like how you solved that.' "