Monday, March 15, 2010
Why is curriculum planning so hard
After my first semi-failed attempt at curriculum mapping I have realized why it is so hard to get teachers to talk about their curriculum, they are scared. I think it all boils down to nobody wants to take a hard look at their personal curriculum because it means opening themselves up for critique. I tried to get my department members to simply looked at what they teach each year so that we could re-align our curriculum to make sure that we are all teaching the same things at the same time but instead I got excuses. The most common reasoning is that we don't have set curriculum that has been handed down so left to our own devices we could not possibly set a curriculum tight enough to all follow it together. I think this is just another excuse and that if we were to work together as a team we could set up an amazing curriculum because I know I work with talented teachers who are brilliant. Maybe it is the extra work or the fact that we have written and rewritten curriculum year after year to meet the newest trend but for once I feel that this writing of the curriculum is the right thing to do. I am going to try to sit down again this time one on one to assess were we are so that we can really do the students the justice they deserve.
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I think you're right about teachers being defensive about their curriculum as well as being guarded when it comes to anything out of the norm (classroom visitations, technology, etc.) A culture like that is hard to change but most certainly needs to.
ReplyDeleteIt seems a counter argument to these resistant teachers is to generate a set curriculum in your department that eventually WILL be handed down. It wouldn't seem like the curriculum would have to be written in great depth either. Simply a set of essential outcomes or questions that will be answered in each unit.
I'm sure you're already aware of this but I have found lately that sometimes the toughest step to make is the first one. In terms of a commitment to improve.
It is that teachers are scared. One great teacher who teaches in the same grade as I do has had a very difficult time switching to a new model in reading and even after 2 years still has not completely let go of the things she is so used to doing. I think teachers are scared. I think teachers see the amount of work it is going to take and unfortunately don't want to find the time to change what they are doing. I think teachers are so tired of people telling them to change what they do because they think whatever or whoever is telling them to change will be gone eventually.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for your hard work and I hope you find the strength to keep going. The work you are trying to do is commendable.
All excellent points. In most schools (and in education generally) we don't have a collaborative culture. We talk like we work together all the time...but in reality, we are independent contractors, each doing her/his own thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I've often wondered if we do this to maintain some control over a profession where we feel largely powerless...with everyone else telling us what we should be doing?