Curriculum Challenge, Anyone?

It seems that every year when the start of school comes around our elementary teachers find themselves with more stuff to teach! Our educational vision extends far beyond the "3 R's" these days to include so much more! Although we are delighted to help our students grow in knowledge and skill and we enjoy watching them absorb all this information about their world, sometimes it seems that there aren't enough minutes in the day!

By the time we finish teaching reading, language arts (which includes grammar, spelling, and mechanics), add our all new "Write Reflections" composition curriculum, then roll into mathematics, social studies, science & handwriting; we still must find time for Spanish, Art, Music, Physical Education, and Library/Media/Computer! Did I leave out religion? Certainly teaching our students about faith and choices while praying together is a fundamental of our daily routine! Did anyone mention current events? How about holiday projects or reading for fun and skill? Wait---we forgot recess--the time when we believe it is so important for our Saints students to just play, relax, fellowship, and learn how to organize themselves for recreation. Did I mention lunch? Are you tired yet?

St. John Lutheran School values your children and we take very seriously the responsibility to teach them in body, mind, and spirit so that they will grow to be all that God has made them to be. We know that there is a limit to children's (and adults') attention spans, and we know that learning is presenting new information and facts, teaching the "how to" of skills including how to learn, hands on experiences and field trips, and working together in groups learning from each other. Add all of this together and you get "curriculum". Curriculum is what we teach and how we teach it. There are national standards for curriculum to be taught at each grade level and age. There are state standards for curriculum at each stage of learning also. We adhere to these and our national test scores show it! There are as many ideas about what works best in delivering curriculum to students as there are teachers who teach and kids who are trying to learn. The goal is to have as many tools in your arsenal as possible and then choose wisely based on student needs and teacher gifts.

Each day your St. John teachers pick and choose from the wide, wide variety of teaching/learning materials to plan the very best educational opportunity for students. Each teacher aims to understand how each student learns and meet him or her there. Each day is FULL to the brim with things to learn and school work to do. There is even a bit of homework! Does every student like school work? You know the answer to that one! Yet, each teacher has been charged with getting all this "curriculum" into all those little brains! A good teacher even tries to make the learning process fun as well as educational. Sometimes, though it is just plain drill and hard work. Like grammar and math facts!

As we grow and learn together as teachers, parents, and students let us communicate. Research shows that when schools and families work together, kids do best! Join us in the journey and fasten your seat belt! Learning is truly an adventure ride!