Curriculum & Instruction That Are Demanding

"We feel better about ourselves when we work hard" (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 63).

There are two important features to curriculum and instruction that are demanding:

1. their design to teach each student what is worthy and essential in the subject.
2. Ensuring that every student develops the habits of mind and attitudes (AKA metaskills) necessary for success in school and in life.

Let's take a closer look at each feature.

1. Their design to teach each student what is worthy and essential in the subject.

• Demanding means curriculum & instruction plans engage every learner in exploring, understanding, and mastering the facts, concepts, principles, and skills and expert in the content would value.
• Teachers do not exclude any students from complex thinking.

• We should be thinking of Bloom's Taxonomy as we plan our lessons to ensure our students are given the opportunity to work at higher levels. On the left side, beginning with remember, are lower-level tasks.  These gradually increase, with higher-level tasks on the right.  I think of these as indicator words. Example: it's easy to describe a task, but it's harder to invent one.

Only when we provide consistent opportunity for each student to sharpen his abilities as a thinker will each student develop into a fully thoughtful adult. For every student, that means persistent, meaningful, guided work that draws on the skills of complex thinking as well as the skills of thinking about thinking.

2. Ensuring  that every student develops the habits of mind and attitudes (AKA metaskills) necessary for success in school and in life.

The Metaskills Chocolate Bar

(don't ask me how...it just happened...)

• The first piece (working hard) means there must be a plan for success that involves hard work.
  *Note: "there is no need to be successful in all things all the time" (p. 64). Doesn't that make you feel better? I know I feel like I always have to get things perfect, but I really don't! And neither do our students!
• We must create for each student a pattern of hard work and a pattern of success.
  "When students believe they are capable of success with assigned tasks, they are more likely to persist. When they are convinced that effort will not result in success, they are more likely to give up on the task" (p. 64) to protect themselves from humiliation.

The conundrum:

(meaning: confusing and difficult problem)

How do we balance hard work and success?

By building curriculum and instruction around essential frameworks of the discipline for all students AND plan to scaffold success for all students from where they are at (their zone of proximal development).

Curriculum & instruction techniques that are demanding include:

1. Guiding students in working and thinking like experts.
2. Placing the level of difficulty of work just out of reach of the learner.
3. Making student growth nonnegotiable.
4. Establishing high standards for work AND behavior.
5. Eliminating wasted time.

Reference

Tomlinson, C. (2003). Fulfilling the promise of the differentiated classroom: Strategies and tools for responsive teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Image Reference
green leaves in Bloom's Taxonomy image modified from image from www.amazingclassroom.com