A Vehicle for Students

Hey Bloggers,

For the next three weeks I have the opportunity to be in a second grade class for school. Today was the first day and so far I love it! My cooperating teacher happened to be telling me about how important curriculum is and even showed me a curriculum map that the second grade team designed. A vehicle for students? What does this even mean? Well it is a vehicle for addressing students needs based on curriculum and instruction. As I started reading tonight, I found that the next chapter was about curriculum and instruction. In the classrooms, we run our students like a hamster in a wheel going through the curriculum to try and get everything taught in one day! One way that we can find a way to make sure to get everything taught are..

IMPORTANT-What we study balances knowledge, understanding, and skill

FOCUSED- Whatever we do is unambiguously aligned with the essential learning goals.

ENGAGING- Students most often find meaning in their work and provokes their curiosity.

DEMANDING- The work is often a bit beyond the reach of the learner.

SCAFFOLD- The teacher teaches for success, use modeling, organizers, and other strategies to point out success.

By providing all these things in our curriculum we can use these tools as a vehicle for student success with the curriculum. By providing curriculum and instruction that is important, focused, engaging, demanding, and provides a way to scaffold will give the opportunity to establish an environment that is crafted on relationships and procedures that will maximize the likelihood of success. We need to expect great things from our learners! We need to see a more that one size fits all solution for students. Every child has needs that require differentiation to every child to succeed!

Till next time!