Help! My School Has Adopted a New Curriculum: Tips for Adjusting to Mandated Curriculum Changes

Written by Abena Sey

September 29, 2024

Our first professional development session of the year began with training on a new math resource. Two weeks later, our second professional development session was training on a new literacy resource.  We learned that these new resources promise to address the gaps in reading and math instruction to support our students.  The challenge is that we had previously received training on new literacy and numeracy resources to achieve these goals the school year prior, which most teachers had just gotten used to by the end of the year.  This current school year would have been a great opportunity to take the lessons learned last year from implementing the resources and using them to better support our current students.  At least, this was my plan.  Now that changes have come, I plan to approach them with the wisdom that I have acquired from my teaching experience and professional learning.  

Here are some tips to approach curriculum changes skillfully this school year.

1 - Learn about your students’ academic needs.  This information will help you determine when and how you will incorporate the curriculum resources.  If you have access to the previous year’s literacy and numeracy data, analyze where all students fall on the spectrum of the grade level.  You can create small groups based on this information and see how the curriculum could be used.  Perhaps, the resource is best used in small-group instruction as opposed to whole-group instruction.

2 - Survey & Adjust Your Literacy and Numeracy Blocks.  Decide when it is best to use the resource during your literacy / numeracy blocks.  Will you start your learning block with the resource, in the middle or end, or should it be used during centres?  If there is some overlap in learning outcomes, where can the resource be used for cross-curricular instruction?  What period of the school year is the best time to use it?  Is there pre-teaching that needs to be done before using the resource?  Or, is the resource a good bridge to incorporating your previously planned learning activities?

3 - Co-Teach.  Is there a possibility for the new resource to be used as a co-teaching opportunity?  Can you and your partner teacher plan how both classes can use the resource together?  There is strength in numbers, and if you have support from your partner teacher, it makes implementing a new curriculum a lot smoother.

4 - Share and Learn.  As mentioned in the previous tip, when you feel supported, transitions are easier to approach.  Discuss with your colleagues any challenges experienced and tips for how to best use the resource.  It helps to know that you are not alone and that your feelings are validated.  Most importantly, it helps to get advice and encouragement to continue at it.  There are also ways to seek help online.  Does the resource offer online support through the company website or online community?  Have teachers shared how they are using it on social media?  Can you draw inspiration from these platforms?  The more you learn, continue to share with your colleagues and administration.  Your leadership and support will go a long way toward success.      

Adjusting to changes can be overwhelming, especially during times of uncertainty due to changes in administration, government-mandated learning outcomes, assessment approaches, and learning about your new group of students.  However, you can achieve success!  Be open-minded, flexible and resilient.  Continue to reflect on your practice, its impact on students and the flow of your school day.  Make changes as necessary using the feedback from your students and their progress.