Episode 34: The Social Studies Curriculum: A Teacher’s Role
REFERENCES:
Dewey, J. (1904). The relation of theory to practice in education, in The relation of theory to practice in the education of teachers: Third yearbook of the National Society for the Scientific Study of Education, Part 1. Public School Publishing Co.
Ross, E. W. (1992). Educational reform, school restructuring and teachers’ work. International Journal of Social Education, 7, 83-92.
Ross, E. W. (1997). The social studies curriculum: Purposes, problems, and possibilities. State University of New York Press.
INTRO:
We have defined social studies, described and defined the different types of social studies curriculum, talked about who controls the social studies curriculum and now today, we are going to discuss the teacher’s role in the social studies curriculum taught in schools. All to talk around and through are basic question: What is social studies? See, now you understand how much deeper that simple question really is. And in this whole process of discussing social studies, you, teacher friend, matter a great deal.
So, by the end of this episode, I promise you will have a better understanding of how you, the teacher, have a role in what social studies is taught and how it is taught in your classroom, school, school district, and state. You really have the power to define the social studies curriculum and I’ll give you 5 ways in which you can become a curricular leader in social studies and other content areas too.
CONTENT:
Let’s be real. That social studies box from the textbook company sitting in your classroom is no good without you.
That’s right.
That box is just a box unless it has you, the teacher, to open it, read what’s inside, decide what parts of the box’s components fit with your standards, curricular goals, and students, uses any of the box’s materials to teach using the best possible teaching strategy or strategies, that social studies material being taught is acted upon and responded on by the students, and the social studies content is assessed appropriately when you are finished.
That box is just a box until you make the initial interaction with it and serve as the curricular conduit between that box and the learning of social studies that takes place in your classroom.
You, teacher friend, have the absolute power to make or break the curriculum being taught in our classrooms. What do I mean by this? Without us, that box is just a box. It could sit there all day everyday collecting piles of dust. Or it could be opened, used, and unfolded into meaningful opportunities for our students.
And we make that happen. Because let’s face it- the textbook companies aren’t that creative. They might print the materials in the box but it doesn’t come to life without you. You’re the spark that ignites the social studies fire! So way to go you, teacher friend!
That spark that ignites the learning fire is also a choice- a decision by the teacher to crack open that box in the first place (or not- but let’s stay on the positive, shall we?). Teachers make about a million decisions daily before 9am, am I right? We’re having to trouble-shoot all of the time! A student comes in late to class after we have begun the exercise, we adjust. Technology doesn’t work, we pivot. Unexpected fire drill occurs, we go with it. We start teaching a lesson and look out at 25 blank stares, we decide. And over and over and over- all.day.long.
We make decisions about the curriculum we teach too. Open the box- don’t open the box. Use the questions in the textbook or not- or just a few. Copy the worksheet or make something else up? Supplement with something from TpT or not? Use the printed assessment or get together with your team and re-write it. These decisions are all about instructional decisions. And we are good at those- we know we are because those decisions are the ones we practice over and over again each school day. But did you also know that you have the ability to make curriculum decisions too? Curriculum decisions are different- they are the big decisions that are made- the buy the boxes, don’t buy the boxes, what content gets written on the pages of the teacher’s manual and textbooks, kind of decisions.
And you, teacher friend, can make curricular decisions too. Yes, you have the power to elevate your decisions from instructional ones to curricular ones. Yes, yes you do. And I’m going to show you 5 ways in which you can become a curricular decision maker. Here they are- so let’s get started:
Ask what and why before how. In my many years of learning about curriculum, studying its components, writing it, implementing it, and teaching it to other teachers in schools, I learned one simple statement. It’s so easy I should probably make it into a t-shirt or sticker for your water bottle. It’s this: ask what you are supposed to teach and why you should teach it before figuring out how you are going to teach it. Ok, maybe it’s too long for the sticker but you get my explanation. This sentiment holds true for social studies curriculum but really it is helpful for all types of curriculum. So that box, before you open it or even after you have opened it, ask around to your fellow teachers and your administrators what the parameters were and reasons for having this boxed curriculum in your classroom in the first place. Especially if it was just there when you showed up. I’ll warn you- sometimes the answer may be quick, direct, and to the point- something like, “the school district voted and we were given it.” That answer will leave you feeling a bit defeated because it feels very far away from you and very much out of your control. And I did say that this podcast was going to be about gaining control, right? Hang with me- I’ll get there and let you in on some ways to snap out of that funk. Here’s one: You may get a more in-depth answer like, “the district formed a committee of teachers and administrators who looked at a variety of social studies curriculums and found this one met all of our needs so we bought it.” Don’t chuckle- In my teaching days I have actually been a part of the latter conversation and committee… and I have gotten shut down quickly as in the first example too. Either way- don’t stop asking what or why! You need to know because that’s empowerment. Whatever the answer/response/feedback/or direct statement, you need to know what’s going on so that you can figure out how you are going to implement this curriculum in your classroom or with your fellow grade-level team members. Whatever the answer, you have to know the reasons behind that box sitting on your shelf so that you can find some ways to get behind it and make it yours.
Know your standards (local, state, national). If you ask any one of my former elementary or secondary social studies pre-service teachers, this is one of our first lessons after, hi, how are you, so glad you’re here, here’s what we’re going to accomplish this semester, do you know the social studies standards? When I first started teaching, social studies wasn’t as regulated in my school district. There was a curricular plan year-to-year in every grade for social studies and it was, I found out later, loosely based upon the national standards and the standardized test our students in our district took a few times during their elementary school careers. When I moved to a different elementary school in a different state, the answer I got when I asked about social studies standards in 1st grade was: blank stare, then, “We teach whatever we want.” Please don’t stand for this answer. Empower yourself to rise above “whatever we want” and make it purposeful, poignant, and engaging for your students. And by backing yourself with standards, you are able to navigate the tougher social studies content because you have a solid reason why you are doing what you are doing.
Use more than teacher-proof materials to teach with. Lesson planning takes time- I remember waking up early on a Saturday morning to plan at least my literacy block for the week. It took a couple of hours at first and then got easier as I put some systems into place. But I needed my students to learn from a variety of materials and not just a basal reader and corresponding workbook. And how many professional development sessions have we all sat through where someone said, “go beyond the textbook and boxed curricular materials and teach”? It’s like an anthem! Anyway, sometimes I had materials given to me by my colleagues. So I just incorporated them in my own way. Sometimes, my students needed more support or challenge. And at one school, none of my team members worked together to plan. I flew solo there. So when I was finding additional resources or flying solo, I looked around for whatever I could borrow or modify or buy. There are so many different teacher created materials out there in cyberspace and they are great. Tip #3 is making sure that when you do go searching for materials to borrow, modify, or buy that they have a real purpose in supporting the standards-based social studies you are teaching. Be selective and make your time and your money worth it. And most importantly, using a variety of resources will make your teaching richer and more creative so that the learning becomes deeper, purposeful, and poignant for your students.
Become an active implementer. What does this mean- become an active implementer? It’s really just what it says- be active. Opening up the box is one small way to become an active implementer. You didn’t just let that box sit on your shelf, did you? But let me expand your viewpoint in a bigger way. Explore and fully participate in training for new curricula that are being considered for adoption in your school. Or ask to test a proposed curriculum in your classroom. Give feedback to those individuals who are in charge of making the curricular decisions. All of these ways offer you the opportunity to become an activer implementer of curricula and not one who is accepting of the curriculum being used in your schools. In the process, you will be able to learn the process of how curriculum is written, published, adopted, and implemented. And this process is invaluable as an empowered teacher.
Become a curriculum-user-developer. Becoming a curriculum user-developer offers you full partner rights in development of the enacted curriculum in your classroom and in your school. Ross states, “Teacher inquiry is a key element in the success of curriculum, because it is inquiry directed at discovering curriculum potential that leads to the change and transformation of formal curriculum materials, and most importantly the development of new alternatives that are best suited for circumstances the teacher is working within” (p. 17). It means, in short, that you teacher friend, become more thoughtful about what curriculum you are using and why you are using it. It means you are thoughtful too about what standards you are using or adopting as well as the types of standards you are aligning with your curriculum. It means you carefully select to use more than teacher proof materials and those materials you are using, are justified and sound. It means that you are actively teaching and engaging with the curricular materials. And if you’re not, you’re actively engaging in dialog about why and trying to make good changes. John Dewey (1904) stated, prospective teachers “should be given to understand that they are not only permitted to act on their own initiative, but they are expected to do so and that their ability to take hold of a situation for themselves would be a more important factor in judging them than their following any particular set methods of scheme” (p. 27-28).
So go forth brave teacher friend, equipped with the knowledge that you have a role in the teaching of social studies and the curriculum that is given to you or sitting on your classroom shelf. You have the ability to be an impactful individual; to understand what you are teaching and why you are teaching it. You are more than capable of making instructional decisions every day and you are also able to make curricular decisions too. You deserve a role in learning about where curriculum comes from, how curriculum is adopted, and how it can best be taught in your classroom with your students. You are the “key element in curriculum improvement and… curriculum change in social studies” (Ross, p. 19).
So there you have it. 5 ways in which you can become a curricular decision maker. Here they are again:
Ask what and why before how,
Know your standards (local, state, national),
Use more than teacher-proof materials to teach with,
Become an active implementer, and
Become a curriculum-user-developer.
Whether you consider yourself a creative teacher or not, or just need a spark to re-energize your classroom atmosphere tomorrow, I hope our discussion today of the 5 ways you can become a curricular decision maker in your school will help you confidently engage your students and create an atmosphere for high-quality content, instruction, and amazing learning potential to begin.
OUTRO:
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Thank you again for joining me, Dr. Paige Hendricks in today's episode of Get Off the Dotted Line! See you next time!
