Gain a clear understanding of the differences in
order to pinpoint the cause of a problem.
Curriculum
Curriculum refers to what is taught.
Instruction
Instruction has two parts: teaching and learning.
A) What the teacher does
It is the teacher’s responsibility to make the curriculum interesting, relevant, meaningful, and/or even fun. Activities that create interest, challenge, inspire creativity or are personal are excellent approaches. A good starting point is for the teacher to ask, “Why am I teaching this?” and then share the reasons with students.
Every lesson should have planned time for reflection in order to enhance understanding, reinforcement, and retention.
B) What students do
Learning that is retained requires active involvement. We remember:
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we say
90% of what we say and do
Classroom Management
Classroom management deals with how things are done.
It has to do with procedures, routines, and structure.
Classroom management is enhanced when procedures are:
1. Explained to students,
2. Modeled for students,
3. Practiced by students, and periodically (when necessary),
4. Reinforced by practicing again.
Classroom management is the teacher’s responsibility.
Discipline
Discipline is the student’s responsibility.
Discipline deals with how people behave.
It is about impulse management and self-control.
So, if you have an unsuccessful lesson and want to increase your effectiveness, ask yourself:
(1) Was it the curriculum? e.g., I just didn’t make it appealing, or
(2) Was it instruction? e.g., I had a wonderful lesson planned, but I did all the work; the students were not engaged enough, or
(3) Was it classroom management? e.g., I had a wonderful lesson, but it took 10 minutes to get everything organized, or
(4) Was it a discipline problem? e.g., I prompted the students’ curiosity, taught a good lesson with meaningful student activities, had everything organized, but Jason still interrupted the lesson. This website is devoted primarily to this topic.
