Battles of Students vs Curriculum-Based Instruction

Every day of the school year, educators are faced with battling student needs as well as demands of the curricular placed on them by the administration. Many quickly become overwhelmed as they push through the curricula but also see that their students need more than the allotted time to fully understand a concept being presented. The pressure then builds as peers are moving their classes on in curricula along with students and teachers both exhibiting stress over all that is expected to be covered in short periods of time. Often there is a split between teachers who throw up their hands and say, “My students come first;” and teachers who say, “We have to get this done.” All this does is lead to teaching frustration for everyone: students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Have you been there or seen this? The common denominator is that everyone is there for the students and wants them to have a complete understanding of the materials. Everyone involved can be coming at the instruction from a different pedagogy. Understanding your pedagogy and your students’ needs will possibly release some of this stress. 

What is your pedagogy?  Is your instruction “student-focused or curriculum-focused?” Gaining a better understanding of each of these forms of instruction along with knowing your students’ learning styles will possibly provide you some stress relief.  Starting with student-focused instruction, the teacher or instructor evaluates what the students need to understand the material and be able to apply it in life or outside the classroom. Some of the students may need additional support, more time, or need to look at the information from a different instructional approach. The student drives the timeline and the theory behind this is that they build a stronger foundation. Skills that are added later should not need as much time to master because they are able to use their applied knowledge. If you are more “curriculum-focused” the instruction is driven by the publisher? There are variables built into most curricula to deal with a large range of different instructional situations. Classroom sizes can vary from a few students to 30+ students in a class. Also, curricula may be designed for 60-minutes but schedules may only allow for 30-minutes of instruction. The real question is what is driving instruction during the day. Often teachers have one pedagogy but are working in a building where expectations are set based upon a different philosophy without them even realizing it.

When talking with teachers, the majority would probably say they are teaching because they want to help children learn. Even though that was their main reason for entering the profession, many have become very frustrated without really understanding why. Sometimes this might be because they themselves did not fully understand all the different philosophies that exist in teaching. Some might even truly believe they teach using one philosophy when really it is a completely different one. One way to find out what is driving your instruction is to STOP and LISTEN to yourself when you talk at lunch about how your class did in the morning lessons.  

Which of the following sounds the most like you?

#1 - “What a morning; we made it through the lesson. I have one group that is going to need a little more practice but the other groups seemed to be doing okay. I really liked how they were able to do a couple of problems with computers. Once we got them going the kids breezed through that center.” 

#2 - “What a morning; my class would not be quiet and listen! We needed to get that workbook page completed and I only had two students start it. They just wouldn’t listen! I’m not going to finish this unit by Friday. I do not know why they would think these students need to do problems on computers. Mine can’t even load the page.” 

Teachers who keep their focus on what the students are accomplishing and not stressing about what lesson they need to be on by Friday most often are more student-focused. They tend to be looking for better ways to serve their students and help them be successful.

Teachers who bring their frustrations about their class to the teacher’s room or to meetings tend to be curriculum focused and feel the pressure put on by the administration to have their students at a certain point by a specific date. Not realizing it, they are pushing the curriculum and their students’ behaviors digress due to lack of understanding. These teachers feel the curriculum must roll on and they hope students catch it when it spirals around again like the publisher says it will. 

Both groups would say they are there for the students. One group celebrates students’ learning while the other blames the administration for their students not learning. In many cases, teachers who change how they talk about their students with peers toward what students learn tend to have higher student success and are more positive leaders on their teams and in their buildings. The subconscious is very impactful of student learning. 

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Time to Think About the First Day of the School Year!

Fall is in the air and that means it is time to start thinking about the first-day of school with your new class. So many meetings! So much information! It is hard to know what to set as your priorities for the start of the new year. No matter what the curriculum or your district requirements, setting your routines and expectations needs to be of top importance.  

It is key that you take time to map out your routines and the expectations you have of your classes so you know what your plan is when the students do not comply with something. This is often the biggest misconception in student behavior because the students do not do what you might expect and then you are left to react rather than having a planned response for their interpretation of your expectations. 

Many classrooms have “Classroom Rules.” Think about dropping the word rules and replacing it with expectations. When there is a rule that someone does not follow it usually results in some form of consequence. Schools are an environment of learning and practicing, therefore using the word expectations goes along with our pedagogy of learning and practicing. If we do not meet an expectation we are able to step back and try again without consequences. 

Taking the time in the first few days to set expectations such as those for lining up, washing hands, and using the restroom will provide additional instructional time later in the year. Students want to know what is expected of them and if it is left to them there is a high chance they will assume incorrectly and you will then spend the next few months trying to correct their interpretation. 

Help set your students up for success. Phrase things in questions. This takes the responsibility off of you and puts it on the students. An example might be instead of telling the student to put their name on their paper because you see it is missing, ask them, “Is your name on the paper?” This puts the responsibility on the student in a positive way with the same outcome. 

You also might consider listing some of your expectations on a poster in the classroom. You will find the poster will save your voice. That way when you take a quick glance at the student’s work you can just say, “You need to check number 4.” You have now put the responsibility onto the student without telling them to go put their name on their paper. It can also be used if you have listed work at a whisper voice with your partner and they are at the shouting volume. All you have to say is please review number 5. This will cut down on your teacher talk in the classroom and put the responsibility back on the students. There is no question that at some point you are going to ask them to comply with one of the expectations and you may have to stop the class and provide a short lesson to reteach what is expected, but even so you are providing the students with the opportunity to take control of their own behavior. 

Set your expectations high and make sure your students know what is expected and you all will achieve your goals. Enjoy this school year. 

Understanding Instruction

What is your pedagogy when it comes to instruction? Are you on the inquiry side or the direct delivery side? What is the best method of instruction for your students? These are a couple of questions you might consider when determining your instruction and your students’ performance in the classroom. 

First, we need to refresh ourselves on the forms of instruction. The two major ones most often found are inquiry or exploratory instruction and direct instruction. Both are key when it comes to instruction there is no question, but when used inappropriately, each can create student struggles along with frustration for everyone. This can often lead to misbehaviors from the students. 

Exploratory or inquiry-based instruction was penned in 1969 by Joseph Schwab based around the exploratory pedagogy or constructivism. You build knowledge based on what you know while learning from questions and applying information to answer those questions. Being able to explain how you were able to achieve your answer allows the learner to be working in the upper levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Instructors using this pedagogy often use questions such as, “What do you think this means?” requiring the learner to apply their background knowledge to respond.

Siegfried Englemann in 1964 introduced the instructional pedagogy form which direct or explicit instruction has been developed. Within this form of instruction, the instructor provides the learner with the information they are learning. Then guidance is provided while students are processing followed by the learner being able to perform the task at a high rate of success. Direct instruction is often associated with scripted instruction, where the instructor is expected to read exactly what is written in the curriculum. This is extreme direct instruction in every possible way, but Englemann focused on the elements of direct or explicit instruction as, “I do it, we do it, you do it”, followed by some form of assessment demonstrating mastery. 

A strong teacher uses both forms of instruction with their students at some point in each day. One key factor in using either one is knowing the students. The background of your students may have a larger factor in your students’ learning than you thought. Even if you enjoy teaching in an exploratory or inquiry-based environment you can run into problems and students not understanding or who are unable to pass the assessment. Therefore, we also need to examine our students and what form of instruction might be best for them in each instructional situation to fully understand the concepts.

Most commonly classroom teachers find themselves using the inquiry or exploratory form of learning. You can observe this by questions the teacher asks,  such as, “What do you think this is?” Then they start fishing the classroom looking for the response they want. If the students do not have the background knowledge to draw their response from you get guesses or they just look at you. English as Second Language learners may not have the vocabulary to draw from to respond, or there may be other factors in which a student might not have the language development to give a respectable response. Therefore, you have to use this form of instruction cautiously because, in the end, you may simply have to provide the students the answer. When the students are unable to respond they become frustrated and talk or work to get you off task creating other discipline struggles.  As long as you know when to use this form of instruction it can provide excellent results.  

Students with limited background knowledge most often thrive with direct or explicit instruction. Their teacher provides them with the information and they are asked to recall that information building their knowledge bank so, later on, they can learn and understand how to determine an answer with their own knowledge. Often as adults, we want to push our students into inquiry before they have the knowledge necessary to be successful, which assumes they have that knowledge. But in reality, some groups still need explicit instruction where you are giving the students the facts for them to store for later use. 

Our students are our barometers for instruction. Their behaviors are your largest indicator of whether your instruction is on point or not. If the students deem the information you are teaching not relevant, whether it is or not, they are most likely to begin to act out. This also might happen if you are working with a group of students who have a large knowledge base and you are trying to instruct explicitly. They are ready to start applying the information rather than hear you talk about it. Whereas, students with limited background knowledge may be fully engaged because this form of instruction meets their learning needs. The same thing may happen when you are using inquiry. The students with limited background are unable to apply the information so they begin to act out or disrupt, while those who bring a wide understanding to the concept are fully engaged. It is also important to note that vocabulary may also need to be taught in two different groups and with two different approaches to meet the needs of all your students because of their wealth or lack of background knowledge they bring to the lesson. 

As you become aware of how your students respond to the different types of instruction and observe their behaviors you will become aware of what type of instruction each student responds to best and which helps them achieve success. This is a case where one size does not fit all and knowing your student base along with your instruction presentation format can resolve many classroom behavior problems.

Narrative Writing using Show & Tell!

Narrative Writing

Narrative writing is a lifelong skill student are able to start developing as early as kindergarten and even preschool.  Developing the skill of narrative writing starts with language development and learning to share information orally with others. Oh the dreaded Show and Tell in kindergarten and first grade where the student simply say, “This is my------------truck” is often seen by teachers as a waste of time because they feel there are so many more important skills which need to be addressed. Therefore, this critical language skill often gets skipped.

One option teachers might consider when implementing Show and Tell for language development is to have students share in small groups. There could be four centers; where the sharer sits in a chair and for two minutes shares about their object. The other students are divided up and sit on the floor to listen and ask questions. After 2 or 3 minutes the students who are sharing rotate to the next group. Then they get to share again. This gives the sharer a chance to share four times and practice four times. When the rotations are complete the four students sharing can stand in front of the class while the rest of the students go back to their workspaces. The students sitting at their work spaces then share what they learned with the class about the objects brought in for that day. I guarantee that your students will improve in their language ability and time spent sharing will actually be shorter. Bring back Show and Tell !

Once children are able to talk openly about a subject or object they are ready to begin their writing journey. When writing students are working at one of the highest levels of Blooms Taxonomy. So, if a student is struggling with writing, step back and allow them to process using their language skills. They still might not be ready to do their own writing and additional scaffolding may be needed for them to be successful, but processing orally fist will help students get their thoughts in order which is critical.

Below is a chart created using the Common State Standards for grades k-3 along with expectations, possible activities and assessments teachers might consider using. Writing is a transfer skill which is developed from oral language development. If students cannot talk about it they are not going to be able to write about it.    

Maximizing Reading to Children

Oral reading has the potential for providing young learners with comprehension practice which they can then transfer to their own reading.

Many classroom teachers take time during their day to read to their students. This is a wonderful opportunity for young learners to hear oral reading modeled. Over the generations along with the development of technology, time spent listening to text being read orally and discussed has decreased. As learners hear less information orally, their ability to process information and identify key points has lessened over time as well. It is key that when we are reading to students we are also providing guided discussion which guides learners to process the information being read.


How can you tell if your oral reading to your students has become “white noise” in your classroom. One major struggle readers have when reading to students is dealing with behavior. One way many teachers try to deal with behavior is to allow students to color or work on projects. If this is happening the learning objective has shifted. More often than not the reader’s voice has become “white noise” while the students are working on their project.


The major objective is to model strong reading along with building literacy / comprehension skills. This can easily be achieved by the reader stopping and engaging the learners in guided discussions with their peers. This is achieved by asking questions in which the whole group can respond or can respond with a partner next to them. The end objective is that they are then able to process these types of questions in their own reading and are also able to retell what they read. Learners cannot retell what they have read if they are unable to retell what has been read to them. In addition, they cannot then transfer the ability to answer question about information read to them. In order to be able to fully comprehend information a learner reads they must first have mastered the skills involved in processing information they have heard. Reading comprehension is a language-transferred skill.


Below is a chart with key elements young learners need to focus on when text is read to them. It is helpful to select one of the elements and focus on that element during the reading of the text. Avoid the question “who can tell me?” This allows you to become engaged with only one learner while the rest of the class waits for your discussion with the student to end. You want to provide a practice time for all your students and having the learners discuss between themselves provides that informal opportunity.

Element	Definition	Activities	Going Deep
Setting (Time)	Setting is not only the location given in a narrative but also the time it is occurring. Setting includes culture, historical period, geography, date, hour, and minute.	Where is the text taking place? What evidence in the text tells where the setting of the text is taking place? What text lets us know the time period the text is taking place?	Text to life -- How can you relate to the text? Explain the beginning, middle, and end.

Plot	The events that make up the idea of the writer. They are often laid out in a series of beginning, middle and end details being told. ●  Introduction or Exposition ●  Rising Action ●  Climax ●  Falling Action ●  Resolution	What problem was described? Explain the solution.	How do you relate to the plot? What might be a different solution?
Characterization	The details about a character(s) in a story. The author will provide the reader with information about the character such as behavior, appearance, and characteristics so readers are able to relate to the character (s).	Describe one of the characters.	How do you relate to one of the characters?
Conflict	Conflict is part of the plot. There are several types of conflicts: internal or external, man vs. man, man vs. circumstances, man vs. society, and man vs. self.	What is the conflict within the text? Who is involved in the differences?	What type of conflict happened in the text?
Point of View	How the author chooses to convey their message. ●  First Person - usually the central character of the story is speaking. ●  Second Person - Keyword you will find. “YOU.” ●  Third Person -	Who is talking in the text? What are keywords used to tell you what the point of view of the text?	How might the point of view change if told from a different person’s point of view?

	Story is being told by another person. ●  Third Person -(objective) Narrator describes the person (he, she, him, her) ●  Third Person (limited) Narrator gives specific thoughts and feeling of the characters. ●  Third Person (omniscient) the narrator is the ALL-knowing. ●  Dialogue vs. Narration
Theme	The topic of the text. It can be placed into two categories: a text’ s thematic concept or thematic statement. Thematic concept is providing the reader with something to “Think About.” A thematic statement is telling “What the author is saying about the subject.	What was the subject in this book (text) about? Were they telling us about something? What did the author want us to think about while reading their book (text).	Relate the text to your life.
Tone (Mood - Feelings)	The attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience.  Conveyed through the choice of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject.  It can be formal, informal, serious, comic, sarcastic, sad, cheerful, or it may be any other existing attitude.	How are the characters feeling in the story? Share what some key words you heard that give us an idea of the mood of the text.	How do you relate to feelings expressed in the text?