Using Curriculum and Instruction to address Student Needs

"If the world is right, the teacher agrees to form that bond with the student. The agreement is the first step. It is the teacher's contract with the child to care intelligently, unyieldingly, and deeply about the individual's strengths and weaknesses, dreams and nightmares, uniqueness and commonality. The agreement responds with a pledge to bring investment, invitation, opportunity, persistence, and reflection to the time, place, and interactions that will bind together teacher and learner. It sets the tone for what is possible."

This quote completely resonated with me. These are the reasons teachers want to be teachers. This is also the reason why our jobs are scary.

Once we know what we will teach, our next job is to make sure we guide students toward a high level of competence and knowledge, understanding, and skill that has been deemed critical. We will pre-assess students to determine their group and individual strengths, weaknesses, understandings, and misconceptions.  There is no way we would be able to teach students effectively if we don't know what they already know. This brings us to the first Hallmark: A strong link between assessment and instruction. they are inseparably connected. The teacher pre-assesses student knowledge, understanding, and skill in both formal and informal ways.

Each lesson that we teach is to ensure that each student develops and extends their understanding. This brings us to the second Hallmark: The teacher's own absolute clarity about what he or she wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do. The clarity allows the teacher to focus on essential learning goals with all students, but at varying degrees of complexity.

So, what is it that makes the classroom and the lessons we teach magical? Engagement. We must deliver lessons to students in a way that is irresistible to our students. Some of the things that students are motivated by are: novelty, cultural significance, personal interest, personal relevance or passion, emotional connection, product focus, potential to make a contribution or link with something greater than self, and choice. This brings us to the sixth Hallmark: "Respectful" and engaging work for all students.