Curriculum, Instruction, Classroom Management, and Discipline
Join successful teachers who understand the differences to pinpoint a problem.
Curriculum refers to what is taught.
Instruction has two parts: teaching and learning
(1) what the teacher does and (2) what the students do.
Classroom Management deals with how things are done. It’s about practicing procedures until they become routines. Classroom management is enhanced when procedures are explained, modeled for students, practiced, and periodically (when necessary) reinforced by practicing again. Classroom management is the teacher’s responsibility.
Discipline is the student’s responsibility. It deals with how they behave. It’s about impulse management and self-control.
If you have an unsuccessful lesson, ask yourself:
Was it the curriculum? I just didn’t make it appealing or motivating.
Was it instruction? I had a wonderful lesson planned, but I did all the work; the students were not engaged or not motivated enough.
Was it classroom management? I had a wonderful lesson,
but it took 10 minutes to get everything organized.
Was it a discipline (behavior) problem? I prompted the students’ curiosity, taught a good lesson with meaningful student activities, and
had everything organized, but Jason still interrupted the lesson.
Reflecting on these essentials help in preventing similar future challenges.
