Curriculum...why does it drive us so crazy?

Is it because teachers control so little of the decisions that go into day to day curriculum decisions? Or is it because teachers are frustrated that they are in such a rut about curriculum...dancing to the test prep and assessment beat...with little or no excitement for the engaging things they used to do with kids. How have we gotten so far away from the basic middle level principles in the curriculum area?

A challenge. What if every middle level teacher spent half their class time engaging their students in work that originates from the many questions (powerful and compelling) they have about themselves and the world. Twenty-five years ago, Joan Lipsitz wrote in her powerful book, Successful Schools for Young Adolescents, that exemplary middle level schools could deliver on the two things that the public wants...high test scores and disciplined student behavior AND do so when kids were involved in an authentic curriculum. Learning about important things that grabbed their attention and made them excited about learning.

An ironic title?

There is no doubt that these are interesting times in middle level education...ok, at any level of education. For some reason not consistently experienced by elementary or high schools, the middle level continues to be misunderstood. The future of middle level education? The experts say that the future is also the past...where we say it should be but have never gone! Everyone else continues to look for new directions...k-8 schools, more rigor, more testing, getting tougher with kids, and more.

But these aren't the things that ultimately will make schools for young adolescents better...or their students smarter. There are no silver bullets for middle level schools...just lots of hard work to do... the work that research and our gut feelings tell us to do, even if those things are not currently in fashion.

The real irony is that we DO know what makes a difference in middle level schools and on this the experts agree...adults who know young adolescents well and want to work with them, a relevant and engaging curriculum, an inviting, supportive, and safe environment and much more.

When are we going to get it right?