Curriculum Planning

[andrewgessman]

In certain teaching situations, planned curricula (or at least skeletons of planned curricula) are provided for teachers. For example, public schools have to adhere to state core standards which in many ways dicate what content is taught and when it is taught. In other situations though, no pre-planning is provided for teachers. In those cases, how does a teacher know what content to plan, how to sequence it, and what guidelines to follow? For instance, such a situation may arrise in less formal teaching settings, such as at a community-based/library-based ESL program for adults. I don’t think it’s a good idea to “wing it”, but to what extent must a teacher for adult programs be flexible in their planning to best meet the circumstances/needs of a very particular set of students?

[StephenfromNZ]

I've been offered a job in a Chinese university teaching in part, Oral English. I expect there will be a lot of leway given by the administration to what I include in the lessons, but I would like some semblence of a plan. Are there some resources that are available?

Regards

Teacher Stephen.

[Sally Olsen]

The students are the most important guide to what they need and if you have someone who can speak their language if they are beginners, then you can find out the kinds of things they expect. They will expect that you will teach them in somewhat the same manner that they learned in their home country. Of course, you don't have to teach that way but you can at least start with some of the same methods to make them comfortable and gradually change over to something you think is more effective or from your own training. Chanting as a group comes to mind as an example.

There are ton of books available to help you keep on some method of teaching. Usually libraries stock beginning ESL books and up. I like to take a variety of publishers and give one to a small groups and then compare and contrast what they teach when and how and why. It provides another level of instruction for the students to critique their learning methods and help the students find the one that is best for them.

Curriculum guides can be found in the teacher's manuals. I often post them in the classroom so that the students can see what they have learned. I always explain why I introduce other things and add them in at what I think is appropriate times.

Taking a course in designing curriculum is really fun.