Diving deeper into curriculum maps is a given during my internship. Naturally, I have a lot to learn and a lot to wrap my head around, but in starting this process I have been overwhelmed with questions. One of the biggest recently, was am I trusted to determine what is best in my classroom for my students? This question came to mind as I studied the districts instructional unit guide (IUG), which details the unit for the teacher starting from suggested time frames the unit is to be taught, down to the unit titles, essential questions, key terms, selected readings, and standards that will be met.
Not surprisingly, and thankfully, I’m going through a rigorous teaching program that teaches me the process for creating a unit guide like this, and more, based on the needs of my students. I must admit it stung a little thinking I won’t get to use these skills if I’m given a detailed outline, but it made me wonder at what point did teachers lose the trust from the powers that be? I’ve also worried about how I can take this guide and still bring excitement, engagement, and innovation into my classroom if we all have the same cookie cutter unit. It’s important to note that I’ve only scraped the surface of reflecting on these questions, but they have been prevalent in my mind for the past couple of weeks. Which brings me to the point in this post, as well as the point to most questions. Solutions!
While I believe there is no one size fits all solution and am still thinking of ways to be innovative myself. I have stumbled across a blog post, We Need to Trust Teachers to Innovate, by John Spencer, which relieved some of the stress that accompanied my previously mentioned woes. He addresses the boxed curriculum and how it can feel restricting. Furthermore, he lends us solutions to what many feels stifled their creativity and encourages talking about your journey. His last point pushed me to make this post. Even though I haven’t a solution of my own yet, I felt it important to note. Perhaps I am not the only intern this year with these questions and I believe I should share my findings with others. After all, isn’t that what we do as teachers? Additionally, I think it could be beneficial for myself if, once I am a seasoned teacher, I can use my thoughts to reflect and further innovation within education in the future.
Hey Candice! I can certainly sympathize with your concerns over the "cookie cutter" style curriculum a lot of schools have. I think it's safe to assume a lot of us starting out teaching are experiencing a similar problem, but I think you've already started a good approach to handling your school year here, even if you're not sure what to do at first, you certainly have a plan on how to figure things out! Don't be afraid to get creative, even little details added to a lesson can make it more exciting and effective. This year is all about finding your footing and figuring out how to work with the tools you're presented with. Don't be afraid to experiment and research the best ways to go about the curriculum. You might find that you have more room to work with than you thought within your boundaries!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your insight, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI should say that I do see some good from the IUG's and as time moves on I'm sure that I will find ways to make them innovative.
I especially appreciate your statement that I might find that I have more room to work with than I thought. So far, as I've been brainstorming and researching, I am finding that I'm able to do more than I thought with them. I think. at first, I was surprised at even having them, which started to make me wonder about them and how I can successfully work with them.