No rigor moratorium!

Yes, yes, yes, I meant "moratorium" rather than "mortis".  Frankly, a rigor moratorium would be the same as rigor mortis.  Dead and stiff education, stiff from "the unavailability of energy needed" (American Heritage Science Dictionary). When one looks up the word "rigor" in the dictionary, geesh, a lot of unpleasant images are created through the use of strong descriptors - words like "harsh inflexibility" and "severity and cruelty" and "unyielding or inflexible".  And yet we use that term as a GOOD thing in education, well, good when used in the correct context and not in the context of any of those nouns/adjectives above! 
What does rigor mean in the context of education?  According to Strong, Silver and Perini (2001), rigor is "the goal of helping students develop the capacity to understand content that is complex, ambiguous, provocative, and personally or emotionally challenging."
In other words, FULL OF LIFE!  Rigor should be viewed as a curriculum goal for every single student - in every single subject area - in order to get all students to become thinkers.  This definition of rigor requires students to work with challenging ideas and complex texts.  Rigor stimulates the brain and helps make connections between learning and life.  Nice. 
Rigor is NOT more of the same.  It's not the quantity of content (yes, children, we will learn ALL the world's history in eighteen weeks; let's get started!).  It's not about "back to basics" or as some people put it, a "core"  or "classical" curriculum, and it's not just for selected students.  Content is important, don't get me wrong.  In fact, I'm screaming that theme!  But it needs to be rich, deep, and meaty.  Why?  Rigorous texts get students to become more flexible thinkers.  Because students will tackle more difficult material and make sense of it, they will become better readers and more critical readers.  Rigorous content requires attention, which in turn hones their critical thinking skills.  Most of all, appropriate rigor creates self-confidence.  Why on earth would I create easy stuff  for my students?  They would have been insulted.  A rigorous content, with enthusiastic guidance and support, meant that my students knew I had faith in them and would undertake the journey with them.  And when they succeeded, it was a beautiful thing.  It wasn't handed to them.
Rigor is relevant to life and to our students' futures.  It's critical.  It makes learning come ALIVE!