Curriculum and Instruction-The Delivery

A just society is one in which men and women, rich and poor, the gifted and the handicapped, have an equal opportunity to use and increase all their abilities, each according to her or his talents. (Tomlinson, C., 2003, p.56)

     All right, all right.  I admit it.  After reading the the title of chapter 5 in Fulfilling the Promise I was not that excited to dig in to the chapter, especially after reading my favorite chapter, chapter 4.  While chapter 5, Curriculum and Instruction as the Vehicle for Addressing Student Needs, may not have passed chapter 4 as my favorite, it is very good and I enjoyed reading it. 

    The teachers response to student needs by bringing persistence, invitation, investment, opportunity,and reflection are very important and set the tone for what we do as teachers. Yet, it is only one of the things were paid to do.  While those things are noble and we would struggle without commitment to them, we are paid to ensure that our students are learners.   The text refers to curriculum and instruction as the tools of our trade.  These tools are what allow us to deliver the skills necessary to prepare our students to become valuable citizens of our community, not just the classroom community, but the larger community of our towns, states, and nation.  
     
    We have all had teachers that know the subject matter and are passionate about it, but we do not enjoy the class.  We have had teachers who taught a subject we did not love, but because of that teacher we developed a passion for the subject.  We must know our material. We are and must be the experts in our classroom when it comes to curriculum, but do not forget that it is not enough to be a good teacher, we must ensure learning.  The book tells stories of teachers who deliver the material, but do not pay attention if it is learned.  The only way we learn if our students are getting what they need is by knowing our students.  One size does not fit all and we must teach to individual students not to entire classes.

    How do we make sure that we are delivering the required knowledge, skills, and ability to each student?  The five elements of the Curriculum and Instruction cog will help us deliver them.  What are these five key elements you ask?  Wait for the next post and you will find out.