Lesson 8: Curriculum Meetings

Attention

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Describe the basics of a curriculum planning meeting.
  • Describe team dynamics in a curriculum planning meeting.
  • Explain their individual beliefs and values related to curriculum planning meetings.
  • Discuss the challenges of beliefs when planning curriculum.

Teaching

In early childhood education, there is a wide variety of curriculum that is used.  For infants and toddlers, curriculum is generally based on individualization, what observation is telling us that a child needs, State Guidelines, personal or team philosophy and other factors.  Curriculum is loosely used and used as a guide.  Once a child gets to preschool, there might be a set curriculum that has been adopted by the program or public school.  Increasingly, preschool curriculum has become less flexible (like in infant and toddler programs) and more prescribed (similar to public schools).  Once a child reaches a public school the curriculum is prescribed with little flexibility.  There are tests to assess growth and other guidelines that public schools are bound by.

Of course there are always exceptions to the above.  Every program is different and there are other wonderful options such as Montessori or Charter schools that do not follow the majority of programming for young children.  NAEYC makes it very clear in several of their position statements that curriculum should be consistent with goals for the children and promotes development in all domains.  When tasked with choosing a curriculum or formulating one of your own, NAEYC has recommended the following in their position statement, NAEYC Where we Stand on Curriculum.

In your current placement, it is likely that there is a curriculum that guides or directs their activity planning every week.  Your task for this assignment will be to do a little research about what kind of curriculum is used, how it is used and who are the key players that plan and implement

Much like the actual curriculum itself, the curriculum planning process looks very different across the early education settings.  For infants and toddlers, it is likely that there are a team of people caring for children due to ratios and best practice guidelines.  For preschool, there are often only two teachers caring for a large group. For school age, it is more often just the teacher themselves and occasionally a support staff that may not even be in there all day.  Also similar to the curriculum itself, there are always exceptions.  Different models of programming, such as home childcare for example, may only have one staff with infants and toddlers and curriculum planning for children of all ages rather than a specific age group.

Given all of the information above, one thing remains the same, curriculum is vital to planning quality education for young children and teaming is important.  Imagine a classroom with more than one staff for any age group.  Each staff has their own agenda and activity ideas.  They believe in different curriculum and have not communicated with each other about what the day will look like.  They come in with their materials and attempt to set up a table at the same time of day for the same group of children.  Now what?!?!?!

Read the article What Makes Effective Teaching Teams Tick and take note on all of the characteristics of a good team.  Think about how this could apply to a team of teachers planning for children in an early childhood education setting.

Assessment

Lesson 8 Assignment

By this point you should have set up a time when you can attend a curriculum or planning meeting with your cooperating teacher. 

First gather the basic information. (You may have to ask your cooperating teacher for some of the information)

  1. Who attends the curriculum planning meetings and what are their roles?
  2. When is it scheduled and how often is it done? 
  3. Who decides on what activities and for what children?
  4. Do they use a prescribed curriculum with a specific form or is it more relaxed to meet the needs of the classroom?

Second, attend the meeting.  Ask your teacher if it is okay to take notes for your assignment on how educators team up for curriculum planning. Did you notice any of the following team characteristics described in the reading? (Provide specific example(s) of how you did or did not see the following.  Keep confidentiality in mind when providing examples)

  1. Acknowledgement and  use of each other’s strengths and talents
  2. Encouragement of individuality
  3. Dedication and Focus on common goals
  4. Respect for each other’s ideas and contributions to the plan

Third, reflect on the meeting process. 

  1. Is this what you thought a curriculum meeting looked like?  Explain.
  2. How do envision curriculum meetings when you are a teacher and planning for children in your classroom?

Submit a document to the Lesson 8 Dropbox that documents this entire process.

Possible Class Discussion

Read Chapter 14 in Swinging Pendulums.  Which side of the pendulum are you?  Do you believe in dittos (worksheets) or a free flowing creative activity?  Why do you believe that way and what do you do if your teammate does not?