Curriculum

Curriculum in my classroom provides a structure for inquiry as we seek answers to questions and gain the skills that are necessary to navigate through daily life. Before I even consider the textbook curriculum provided by my district, I first consider the skills necessary for my students to function in a multicultural society. I know that my students will need to listen for understanding, speak to be understood, and interpret both written information from a variety of sources. Woven throughout all of this, I consider that my students need to become culturally literate. They need to gain an understanding and sense of respect for the similarities and differences between cultures. As I consider the skills necessary for this I create a curriculum map for each year. This is the big picture of what I want my students to learn through the year. When I begin to create my units, I then look at the textbook curriculum and outside resources (newspapers, internet, etc.) to create individual lessons and activities.

I have a great deal of freedom in the way that design and use curriculum in my classroom. This is due in large part to the fact that I am NOT in a tested area. It is also due to the fact that most administrators don't have experience with World Languages and don't want to step out of their area of expertise. My department shares a textbook and final assessments. We also share some formative assessments. This allows each of us to emphasize what is of interest to our students. It also allows us to move at the pace that fits our individual classes. In my opinion, this helps to create a student-centered environment because I am able to move with the ebb and flow of my students' interests and abilities. It also allows me to stress the topics that I am excited about--which means that my excitement will be transferred to my students.

I really enjoy the curriculum provided by my district. It is divided into themes appropriate for the different levels of learning. For example level one is focused on the individual: family, school, interests, food--all things that are important the the individual student's daily life. As they continue in learning, the themes become more abstract as the students have more skills and vocabulary to communicate on that level. Utilizing "backward design" and "essential questions" has greatly improved my instruction. It provides my students with an end goal. Last year, my students learned how to describe clothing with the question, "How does the typical American teenager dress?" They had a culminating task of choosing an outfit for a common occasion (a date, school, sports, a formal event) and describing it in Spanish. They would wear that outfit to school for a fashion show showcasing American fashions for a Guatemalan teenager preparing to visit. In preparing for their end task, my students discovered how the typical Guatemalan dresses for specific events. They learned the terms for fabrics, prints, and clothing items. What could have been a list of words to memorize became an exciting event with lights, cameras, and action. They loved it!

As I read, I was struck by a variety of images used to describe curriculum: "a verb, an activity, an inward journey," "running the race course, " and "unlearning." While I am lucky to have a nice curriculum to use as a resource, I find that being a better teacher doesn't mean that I use a text book more or less--I just use it better. I don't assume that the textbook knows my students better than I do, but I make use of the variety of excellent materials and activities created by professionals. I think that the inward journey is about me discovering that it is all about my students and what will allow them to acquire and construct knowledge through tasks in my classroom.