Curriculum and Instruction as the Vehicle

Five Elements for Curriculum and Instruction
1. Important
2. Focused
3. Engaging
4. Demanding
5. Scaffolded

1. Important
Steven Levy said, "We cannot teach the breadth of the entire world and at the same time achieve any depth of understanding." Knowing what to teach and how in-depth to teach is the constant battle teachers face. Students need to know that what they are studying is essential. If they do not see worth in it, then they will tune out and respect you less for wasting time. That is what I felt as a student when I couldn't see the reasoning behind the lesson, and no teacher ever took the time to point it out to me. Students also need to see the bigger picture and that their lessons build on knowledge they previously gained. They also need to be given opportunities to use their new knowledge and apply it. 
2. Focused
Teachers need to be clear about what they are teaching their students before their students can learn it. Each lesson needs to be aligned with the essential learning goals. This sounds like common sense, but there have been times when I am writing a lesson plan and I get on a tangent. I always have to pull myself back and ask, "Does this match with what I said I wanted them to learn?" Teachers and students, both need to know why you're doing what you're doing. This helps you to keep end goals in mind and motivate both yourself and students to keep trying and learning.
3. Engaging
It is hard to find exciting facts in all subject areas, but teachers need to search for them and incorporate them with their passion for teaching. In turn, the excitement of something new and the passion of the teacher combined is incredibly powerful in engaging students. Last year, I was reading an article with some students about lizards, and I learned something new. I wasn't expecting to because it was a pretty basic article and I was so focused on teaching guided reading. I genuinely gasped in excitement. I let them finish the sentence, and then I asked if any of them had learned anything new. They all looked at me blankly, so I shared what I learned. This got them going, and suddenly all of them wanted to share something they found interesting. It is so important to give students work that they will find interesting and meaningful.
4. Demanding
Finding that zone of proximal development for each student is so satisfying. It is the greatest feeling to see a student push themselves and really strive to increase their knowledge. It is equally the worst feeling to see a student so frustrated with the impossible challenge and give up. Students need to know that gaining new knowledge and growing isn't an option, they have to improve themselves. They should be held to high standards and be expected to achieve them. I have seen students who do not feel like they have to try because no one is really pushing them. Teachers need to be aware of all of their students and find ways to push each and everyone of them toward their goals.
5. Scaffolded
Scaffolding is usually thought of as being used toward students who are struggling, but it should be used toward all of them. Each student deserves to have work suited to their needs and personal goals. Teachers need to keep in mind the different ways and activities that they could scaffold for their students. It is important for the teacher to use modeling, graphic organizers, and other strategies to show students that they are successful and that they are learning. Last year, I was teaching math and realized that my fast finishers were bored out of their minds. So, I created a fun game for them to play when they finished their assignment. It wasn't until I got the game going, that I realized my students who weren't fast finishers were feeling left out and not as smart because they weren't done yet. I needed to find a way to scaffold for my other students in a fun way like I had for my fast finishing students.