WANTED: Highly-qualified teacher to implement district purchased curriculum. Must attend trainings. Must follow pacing guide. Must give students consumables. Must move quickly. Must ignore reteaching. Must trust the model. Must regularly update online assessment collection tool. Must share results with building data team. Must not question the process.
I had completely forgotten the existence of this wanted ad when I clicked on the email attachment with excitement, nervous about the courses I would teach in the fall. I’d requested Sophomores and AP Language. Four sections of Sophomores glowed on the screen. That meant I’d have roughly 120 fifteen year olds to guide through the themes of Sophomore year. I love 10th graders because they sort of know how to play high school. They think they are better than the freshmen. They consistently under or over-estimate how much time it actually takes to accomplish an academic task.
They think they know everything.
This is the year that many high school students transition from thinking about themselves to thinking about others. Throughout the nation, tenth graders are learning to “think globally”. Sophomore year a student could read texts like Siddhartha, Things Fall Apart, and Macbeth. They learn about the cellular makeup of the world in Biology, discover that Geometry is simply argumentative writing with numbers, and explore how civilizations rose and fell through World History.
Following the lead of others, my own district adopted Springboard, a College Board developed, Common Core aligned, “culturally responsive” curriculum that prepares students for rigorous, Advanced Placement courses. I was certainly excited about these qualities when I attended the district workshop last year. Nonetheless, after five months of implementation what I’ve found is that this curriculum—much like most outsourced programming—is problematic. Instead of concentrating this post on an analysis of the issues, I want to emphasize what teaching Springboard curriculum has illuminated for me.
My classroom isn’t more rigorous, engaged, or common core aligned because of Springboard—those qualities already existed. What Springboard has done is remind me that teachers still need the flexibility and autonomy to modify any curriculum to meet the needs of the diverse students in their classrooms.
Furthermore, the following is more true now than ever:
- Students need their classroom teachers to pre-assess their knowledge.
- Students need their classroom teachers to develop engaging hooks.
- Students need their classroom teachers to differentiate learning tasks.
- Students need their classroom teachers to scaffold complex readings.
- Students need their classroom teachers to create a safe place for all learners.
- Students need their classroom teachers to not be “good soldiers” rotely teaching curriculum developed by someone many states away from their school.
Above all,
- Students need their classroom teachers to advocate for them when policies don’t.
Springboard is a disgrace. We were told to do the curriculum with “fidelity”. Every kid on the same page on the same day. What a joke. The lessons don’t make sense, they are dumbed down, and they are aligned with PARCC and the ACT. Not too hard to see why this curriculum is adopted. Bad news.
Hope,
I think that it is so important to remember that at the root of education lies the needs of the students. It is because of the students that we teach, and they must remain our main priority. I looked at the list that you compiled below ,and agreed that I do these things. Not for every lesson, but I know how and incorporate these essential concepts in to my daily teaching. Tonight, I have challenged myself to recall a time where I have done each of these things. I hope that my examples will be helpful to others that see your post, and I encourage others to share their own ideas. The more we share the more we can help students around the world grow and learn.
Students need their classroom teachers to pre-assess their knowledge.
One way I pre-assess students knowledge is by playing a game relating to the topic. Some games are board games, and some are trivia type games like Jeopardy. This way students are excited about the new ideas, and I can see the specific topics that need to be discussed in the future. Students like these games because there is no pressure to be correct, and they are willing to take risks. Since I use Jeopardy as a review game often this activity doesn’t provide any extra work for me.
Students need their classroom teachers to develop engaging hooks.
A hook that I love using with my students pertains to social studies vocabulary words. In social studies, we come across many geography terms. To hook students to the upcoming concepts I help my students create 3D representations of these words with their bodies. For example, one of the vocabulary words was foothills. I had four students hold each others hands over their heads and four other student curl into balls on the ground. These students were the foothills at the base of the mountain range.
Students need their classroom teachers to differentiate learning tasks.
One way I differentiate learning tasks is by creating multiple activities that cover the same topic.We are currently discussing cause and effect. We do a class activity together on day one, and the following day students can chose to practice this skill through writing, reading a new text, rereading the same text, or using technology. I also believe in choice as a form of differentiation as long as I am able to control the fact that students are working at the correct level.
Students need their classroom teachers to scaffold complex readings.
On way I scaffold for complex reading is by having my students create and fill out anticipation guides. Each section in our science book has a question at the bottom of the page. Before reading, students have to create a graphic organizer and put each one of the proposed questions on the organizer. Before reading they then preview the text looking for clues in the titles and images for answers to the questions. Students then read the sections, and find the actual answers within the text.
Students need their classroom teachers to create a safe place for all learners.
I create a safe place for all learners by having discussions about strengths and weaknesses at the beginning of the year. I have each student write down a strength and a weakness on notecards and hand them back into me. I then read each strength and weakness. We discuss that some students had the same strengths or weaknesses, but others had different ones. This is one way I explain why some students will participate in certain activities throughout the year based on need.
Students need their classroom teachers to not be “good soldiers” rotely teaching curriculum developed by someone many states away from their school.
I use my curriculum as a guide, however, I also make sure I am relating the material to my students. I teach in South Korea, but since we use an American curriculum my students learn about the different regions of the US in social studies. When talking about art, music, and geography in the different regions, I spend time doing a variety of connection activities to allow students to compare the regions to their own lives in Korea.
The paragraph beginning, “My classroom isn’t more rigorous, engaged, or common core alligned,” perfectly summarizes my professional frustration this year with the implementation of our new math curriculum. Looking foward to the adoption of an ELA curriculum, I fears its implementation will take a similar tack. As a result, I wonder what other industry, what job, might better appreciate and utilize my creativity, my passion, and my ingenuity.
Matt – your passion is the heart of your teaching and your struggle demonstrates that you have a vision about what good teaching looks like. I really liked your post today at http://www.base-ten.com/tm/why-school-districts-adoption-of-common-core-curricula-is-not-common-core/ that follows this thread a little deeper.
I like your post, Hope. I think we need a balance between prepared (canned) curriculum and teacher-created lessons. The good thing about prepared curriculum is that it maintains horizontal and vertical alignment. And that’s a good thing. The good thing about teacher-created lessons, is that they match better with the students. and that’s also a good thing.
Again, balance.
Glad this is resonating with other educators. Many of you who posted are people I highly respect and admire in this profession.
I often feel like I’m living in a foggy, dream-like state. How is it that in our push to improve education by creating higher standards for teachers and students, we instead “de-skill” professionals and forget about the whole child? I think Michael is right in that the programs are extremely seductive!
Spencer–I especially agree with your questions, “If teachers are not being expected to think, how can we expect this from their students?” Students see us as models and we have to live what we preach.
I love the way Sunshine framed this, “How about instead of being asked to teach the curriculum ‘with fidelity’, we are asked to teach our students with fidelity.”
Lastly, Jana (Spencer you hit on this as well) your last point captures what I’m still wrestling with. You stated, “Learning is a present moment phenomenon that can’t be predicted from a publishing house.” I do appreciate being able to have a teacher’s edition to draw from but…we give too much power to the publishing house. It is the teacher in that context that knows how best to meet his/her students’ needs.
Thank you Hope. Decent published curriculum can go a ways toward teaching teachers but it does nothing for the child. Learning is a present moment phenomenon that can’t be predicted from a publishing house.
Hope, Great job of clearly explaining the pitfalls of such seductive programs that serve to actually “de-skill” teachers who professionally understand the myriad needs of her students and who skillfully use the processes of meaningful curriculum design.
Taken out of context, that wanted ad sounds like it was published by Dolores Umbridge on behalf of the Ministry of Magic.
Excellent reminder to all teachers – but especially to administrators and school boards. How about instead of being asked to teach the curriculum “with fidelity”, we are asked to teach our students with fidelity. Asking teachers to teach a boxed curriculum without modification is insulting to our professionalism and certainly no good for students.
Great points – students absolutely need these things from their teachers. Teachers need to fight standardization now more than ever. There seems to be such a panic to get aligned with Common Core that districts are forgetting where teaching comes from. Good teaching does not come from the text – though examples may be included in the teacher guide. Rather, it arises naturally in a carefully constructed learning environment. If teachers are not being expected to think, how can we expect this from their students?