In this episode, I lament the ways that classical schools, like progressives schools, regularly "cut up" the curriculum into too many disconnected fragments that become "subjects."
It is much more insidious than 8-10 subjects a day. I am in junior high math and science. Each subject I teach is then broken into 12-30 topics. I imagine it is much the same if not worse for history, literature, grammar and religion.
As a fifth-grade teacher, I often feel like a veterinarian. I’m expected to know how to treat a variety of animals, from guinea pigs to potbelly pigs. I’m expected to teach all of the core subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies (U.S. History). We don’t have eight-period days however, there is always way too much curriculum to cover in any given school year. This leads to a frenzy pace, where deep learning is regrettably not encouraged or possible.
Unlike my middle and high school colleagues, I do not have the privilege to specialize in one particular subject. I am not only a writing teacher. I teach students how to read, write, solve mathematical problems, critically analyze American history and scientific concepts, all in the same day.
It is much more insidious than 8-10 subjects a day. I am in junior high math and science. Each subject I teach is then broken into 12-30 topics. I imagine it is much the same if not worse for history, literature, grammar and religion.
As a fifth-grade teacher, I often feel like a veterinarian. I’m expected to know how to treat a variety of animals, from guinea pigs to potbelly pigs. I’m expected to teach all of the core subjects: Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies (U.S. History). We don’t have eight-period days however, there is always way too much curriculum to cover in any given school year. This leads to a frenzy pace, where deep learning is regrettably not encouraged or possible.
Unlike my middle and high school colleagues, I do not have the privilege to specialize in one particular subject. I am not only a writing teacher. I teach students how to read, write, solve mathematical problems, critically analyze American history and scientific concepts, all in the same day.