"Why do we have to learn this?" It's a question that teachers dread, and it speaks to a curriculum that, for whatever reason, doesn't engage students. Maybe it's a curriculum that is outdated. Perhaps it's presented in such a way that it lacks luster. Maybe it's devoid of any emotional connection for a student.
Simply put, sometimes a classroom management problem stems from the curriculum, or the way content is facilitated.
Meet Regina Flores-Kincaid. She is Chair of the English Department at Lawndale High School where she teaches a 9th-grade English intervention class, 10th-grade Honors English and 10th-grade AVID. She describes her school as making strides to meet state standards, improving scores on state tests, and producing college-ready graduates.
Look For:
- What is the "hook" that grabs students' attention in Regina's curriculum?
- After the curriculum grabs them, how does Regina go deeper with the graphic novels and connect it to the real lives of her students?
Go Deeper:
In this essay in Rethinking Schools, Herbert Kohl offers teaching advice from a career that spans over 30 years.
Reflect On:- What does it mean to "teach against your conscience"? What forces in your professional life guide, or force, you to "teach against your conscience"?
- What does Kohl mean by "full of passion and effort but deficient in craft"?
- How are we fed the myth of the perfect strategy, the perfect curriculum or that "one size fits all"?
Ready Resources:
Ideas for Engaging Students in Active learning
Use Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences to engage students
Find out more about Socratic Seminars
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