Best Way to Follow the Teaching Curriculum

Since the government and Education Minister are constantly assessing theUKcurriculum, it is inevitable that some changes will occur. Your department may decide to make significant changes to resource mate­rials or alter teaching strategies. If you haven’t been keeping up to date, or have returned to teaching from a period away, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with current teaching and learning trends and expectations.

When the curriculum changes, for whatever reason, it is up to you to be familiar with the material you teach. There is no point sticking stolidly to tried-and-tested lesson plans if they are not satisfying cur­riculum criteria.

In theUKthe Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is sponsored by the government Department for Education and Skills (DfES). and helps to maintain and develop the National Curriculum.

The QCA supply curriculum frameworks to every school for every subject. An in-depth breakdown of these frameworks can be found on the National Curriculum Online website, www.nc.uk.net, which is avail­able to everyone. (This is not to be confused with Curriculum Online, www.curriculumonline.gov.uk. which contains a wide variety of multi­media resources to support teaching and learning.)

Top tips for following the curriculum

•  Are you aware of which section of the curriculum your school is following?
•  Are you familiar with skill descriptors for your subject area?
•  Have you considered the lesson’s expected objectives and out-conies?
•  How can you link your lesson to National Curriculum stand­ards?
•  Have you adapted your teaching and learning styles to accom­modate changes to the subject structures?
•  Do you know what level your class is at in comparison to national expectations?
•  Are you aware of which exam papers you should be teaching towards?

Remember: if you are confused about any aspects of the curriculum, it is always best to check with your Head of Department or other colleagues to make sure you get it right. Otherwise you may find yourself creating lesson plans that are inappropriate or fail to match proper standards. This is not only a waste of your time, but you will be failing your classes by not teaching appropriate material.