I personally feel like lately the focus in Education is overhauling curriculum. But is that what we are doing? When I was doing my student teaching I went to many curriculum meetings where instead of coming together and creating a fresh and interesting curriculum for the students to engage in, all that happened was that people went though their school years and wrote down what their curriculum was so there was a record of it. This did not make much sense. I also noticed that the assignments that were being assigned were the "classic" assignments, papers, text and questions, and general overview assessments. I did not see many projects or "activities that broadened students' views of the world, themselves, and their futures" (TWBIA 105). As an English teacher I want my students to truly understand what they are being asked to learn. I want to create a fun and learning atmosphere in my classroom. If I can do that then I know my students will succeed.
The school that I was teaching at needed an over haul on their curriculum. In fact the curriculum was not in line with the other two high schools in the school district. None of the schools knew what the other ones were doing. TWBIA says on page 109 that "when curriculum is at its best it takes on something of a life of its own." Where I was there was no life, it needed a soul, it needed "spunk".
Sometimes I wonder if the reason curriculum has not been "overhauled" is actually not because people like to cling to the old and trusted ways, but because it's just so much work. It would take time, effort, creativity (and money?), etc.
ReplyDeleteSpunk is something that many curriculums need, well said! I agree, when we would meet as a department to think of ways to help the science curriculum, it would turn into what we need to teach that is going to be on the test. Then it would turn into talk about textbooks, lab supplies, and more blah blah blah. We never really improved the curriculum, just added more. Luckily I had a great mentor teacher who was also a 6th grade science teacher. She was so supportive and would share her out of the box assignments with me. The students loved them and it was great to see their creative sides come out.
ReplyDeleteMaggie, I know that it must be disheartening to see such a dull curriculum. But, Erin is right. There are a lot of good teachers who can "spunk-up" any mundane curriculum. There isn't any reason why you cannot have the "fun and learning" atmosphere that you aspire to create.
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