The importance of Curriculum

The job of a teacher is not only to educate students, but to also make them well rounded citizens of the world.  It is my job to make sure that they learn everything they need to know to be able to survive as strong independent individuals that can maintain a job to support their needs, provide them with life skills so that they know how to function appropriately in society, and best of all turn them in to well rounded people that can get along well with others, support their own opinions and view points, and give them the confidence to know that they can achieve anything they set their hearts to.

So how do I do it when my classroom is filled with 30 students that are all over the place academically.  The curriculum gives us five characteristics to help us pull out what we need to teach to and guide each students.

The characteristics are:

1. Is the work important?  Why does the work need to important?  What is taught builds students understandings.  It also balances knowledge, and is essential to the structure of the curriculum.
2. Is the work focused?  We need to make sure what we are doing is aligned to the curriculum.  We need to make sure that the students know that what they are working on point back to the big pictures of the subject being studied.  The teacher needs to be clear about what the student will know, do, and understand, and that the indicators in the lesson plan tell us that.
3. Are the students engaged?  When students work is engaging students are likely to find meaning in their work.  They try harder to do better, and they value the work they do more.  Engaging work also can help control behavior in the classroom, sparks creativity, and allows students the chance to explore the work deeper.
4. Is the work demanding for the students?  You want the students work to be just a stretch beyond their reach.  You want the students to have to work for their answers and learning goal, and not just be given an assignment that the student can do without any thought process.  When the work is just beyond reach that is when the work is at the right stage of learning.  In order to engage all learners it is important to remember that the teacher should not exclude any learner from learning now matter what.  This is where differentiating for the learner comes into play.  For some types of learners we will have to make some work more challenging, for others we will have to make it less challenging, and for others we may have to gear it for interest.  This will all be decided after assessment has been done.
5. Is the teacher scaffolding?  Scaffolding is done in order to achieve success.  This is achieved by varying the criteria for students by providing different levels of support along the way.  We may start out holding on to the students, and keeping them close with our instructions, and then gradually releasing them to eventual success when they can work on their own.

When these characteristics are in effect students and teachers feel that the need for affirmation, purpose and challenge have been met. It is important that all of these characteristics of curriculum be in place for each lesson.  It is also a really good idea to mix things up.  Students enjoy going on scavenger hunts, but they won't like doing them daily.  Make sure you are mixing up the way that you engage your students.  Keep things fun, and simple, and most of all think about your students when planning your curriculum.