How many teachers set their own curriculum, meaning that you come up with everything you teach and assess? Beyond that, how many teachers are expected to change up their content almost every year? As a high school English teacher, I develop everything myself or collaborate with my (frankly amazing) coworkers. We are asked constantly to find new, modern books to buy and to develop curriculum around them (because our subject is more skill based). Wondering if other districts/subjects do the same.

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Be careful what you wish for... I'm fortunate that our district, like yours, does not require a scripted curriculum. We have learning standards and a curriculum to follow but have the flexibility to adapt/ select materials to implement the standards according to the needs and interests of the learners. I have used scripted programs and although it was convenient that everything was right there, I found it difficult to express my creativity as a teacher.

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I refuse to work at a school that makes me teach from a book, in a certain order, at a certain pace. I love looking at what I did and figuring out how I can do it better next year, so I’m constantly reinventing the wheel. It’s exhausting but so satisfying when it works.
That being said, most teachers I work with just teach from the book. I basically have my own “curriculum” at this point, but it is completely aligned to the state standards and test.

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As an agriculture teacher, I come up with everything I teach, for 11 different classes. Yes ag teachers share some worksheets and swap good ideas. But otherwise I’m building every lesson, every test, every project, every rubric by hand.

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I’m a industrial tech teacher and we too, are left to do pretty much all by ourselves. It’s tough sometimes

We are given a scripted curriculum that was written for our state for ELA grades 3-12 (testing grades). We have to follow this curriculum "with fidelity and with integrity", though the person who keeps repeating that has told us we can supplement & adjust within reason (so not with fidelity & integrity ).

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It's called Louisiana Guidebooks 2.0. It was developed by teachers from around our state. But it is available on Learnzillion, I think. That's where we go to access lessons & materials for it.

I still think we are touching children’s lives. It has just become more difficult.

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I am pretty free.

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I have to create certain things and than follow a scripted program with other subjects.

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We create our own curriculum, our team does, mostly because what we get from our district is crap. We are getting no support from our district with regard to distance learning. It is good and bad.

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I used to plan everything and while I liked the creativity, it was exhausting and burning me out. Several years ago, I started working with a pair of teachers that planned together and they invited me to join because we all taught the same subject. Changed my whole view.

Since then, one teacher retired and our team picked up an instructional specialist who does inclusion in our classes. We each bring a different perspective and strength to the team. I’m tech and want to try everything, my partner is the planner and voice of reason (scales it back to reasonable) and our I.S will modify our tests and help us adjust assignments. So, we sit and plan several weeks at a time. Each of us is responsible for different parts of it. We have a google shared drive where we put all of our stuff. It is laid out by 4 main topics covered and then sub folders to keep it organized. This is a continual work in progress but each year I feel like we add a layer of improvement rather than reinventing the wheel alone.

Having this team was a life saver when an emergency took me away from work for a couple weeks. My team stepped in and laid out the lesson plans and materials because we were on the same page and they could help the sub. If you can get this kind of team going, do it! It’s the best of both worlds.

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For the past 29 years!

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Building from the ground up. Love it. Yes, it can be stressful, but it’s mine and I can teach it how I want and as creatively as I want. That gives me a lot of freedom and autonomy. Yes, I have to make sure it all aligns with standards, but that’s okay. I can adapt to each class’ strengths and weaknesses and do what’s best for the kids. I would hate it any other way.

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Wow I wish I could do that. The curriculum I have to teach comes with practically everything and I am required to teach every lesson the way it is written. I even have to use the udl, sped, and ell supports suggested in the curriculum rather than coming up with my own and it feels like I have no room to make growth as an educator.

Thanks so much!!!! I teach 9 and 10 mostly, so unfortunately I'm not sure it would help a ton, but thank you times a million for being so thoughtful and generous.

We have quite a bit of autonomy in our curriculum. We can’t supplant but we can enhance our materials.

I’ve created my own curriculum. I change when I see a need to add or take away. However, it’s my third year to teach my own curriculum and I’m very happy with it. I do not have coworkers that help.

I do the same

I plan some units and use the curriculum for others.

We have a scope and sequence, but we design our own activities and lessons. Our assessments are already made for us, and we have to give them as written. My students do terrible on them because they don't align with how I teach. They are very rigorous, and admin says I have to give them as a grade and keep moving toward that level of rigor in my classroom.

I teach history and have to do all my own curriculum. We aren’t expected to change everything completely but we’re not supposed to do the same thing year after year.

I always find that idea funny. ( teachers need change their curriculum). I’ve been teaching 26 years and when I take that moment at the end of the day or after an assessment to reflect on how things went. ( did students get it? did student behavior indicate interest or disengagement? did I miss something? Etc). I jot down notes about changes for the following year or on things that need a total revamp in my plan book and use it to help guide the next year. While Core content doesn’t change much, the depth, complexity, and way we deliver it will naturally change. I don’t change my lessons to just change them. I keep some the same while others get a “facelift” to keep up with who I’m teaching. While the prepackaged lessons can be a great place to start for teachers, teaching is more like architecture and less builder. I know I’m preaching to the choir here.

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I am with the most amazing kindergarten team. I script myself only because I don’t want to forget anything. I still sometimes forget things.

I once was given a class called "Test Prep". The counselor couldn't even tell me whether it was under the umbrella of ELA or Social Studies. No course description. No curriculum. No state standards. I made it a hybrid of ELA and Social Studies.
I teach Public Speaking now (in another district). No curriculum or materials but at least there are some speaking and listening standards in ELA.

Interestingly enough I often wonder if teaching ELA in my district is actually code for teaching test prep based on the way my scripted curriculum is designed. SMH

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