Veteran Teachers' Corner: Post #3- The Journey of Curriculum Writing- Out with the Old, In with the New (and Old).

 One of the overarching ideas for rewriting the ELA curriculum was the concept of keeping what already worked and add in new details to create and enhance the new version. I paused and thought "would writing from scratch actually be easier in this case?" I determined given the timeframe (see blog post #2) that answer was definitely a no. Others who were creating curriculums from a blank template had a more difficult road to travel by for sure. But for me, as an educator and writer, weaving new and old concepts was a challenge in of itself. 

I decided the best way was to start by reading each section what was there, look at new notes I made throughout the year during lessons and reflection, and add those in. There were of course essential pieces we had to include such as new standards, cross-curricular activities, and career readiness. While those were a "copy-paste" movement, it took some time to locate them. Once found, I added all of them into the first unit of the curriculum, and copied/moved those pieces as needed from there, as opposed to having multiple documents open at a time. While this took some time getting used to (and still caused me to gasp with the first few openings,) it was helpful to have everything in one place. I could then focus on the task at hand; add in new ideas and adjust old ones. 

What I found I kept were the strategies, skills, and essential questions. I added a few new ideas to these based on data from implementing Reading Workshop, and revisiting information from a professional development workshop I attended. I also had more time this past year to take a deep dive into the Reading Strategies book by Jennifer Serravallo. This caused me to have more strategies to add to this list. A tedious task, but worth it nonetheless! 

Adding in a new additional (and optional) unit was a journey through uncharted (however familiar) water. I did not create a unit from scratch in two years, but I am thankful I took this challenge. It was proof that I can continue to apply my skills in developing curriculum, regardless of time constraints and other added pressures. I am pleased with the unit, and I am hoping it brings joy to both my fellow educators and students. 

Lessons learned through this part of the process was that the theory "out with the old" isn't always the best choice. Keeping solid foundational principles in the curriculum is the root of the work, and adds familiarity for others when reading the new version. In contrast, adding in new strategies, activities, books, etc., are vital to the growth of the curriculum over time, which yields to professional growth for me, other teachers employing the curriculum, and therefore, our students. 

Final Thoughts: Keep reflecting on what works, and keep adding in what's new. Keep adjusting your curriculum writing to fit the needs of the students, teachers, and your district. Keep learning and reading, it's the best way to develop your work, your confidence, and yourself as an educator overall!