Curriculum Overview

Effective teachers know and understand the curriculum. They use the curriculum to guide their instructional choices. Guided by the curriculum, teachers are aware of what students are to accomplish. Teachers use the curriculum to program and monitor student progress over time.

Curriculum content

A deep understanding of the curriculum informs instructional decision making. Effective teachers connect assessment data and knowledge of students to the curriculum. They have a comprehensive knowledge of subject matter. They understand the philosophical underpinnings, the goals, rationale, aims, and content of the curriculum.

Curriculum context

While the curriculum content relates to the subject matter of the curriculum, the context influences how the curriculum is delivered. Teachers in Catholic schools work in Catholic contexts. Catholic contexts impact on how the curriculum is delivered in schools. This requires an understanding of the purpose and educative vision of

Catholic schools, parishes and wider community.

Teachers plan from the curriculum according to students’ needs and interests. Teachers understand that the needs and interests of students vary. They build on students’ prior learning, link new ideas with the language and perspectives students bring to the classroom and provide opportunities for students to discover, explore and create in a variety of ways.

Teachers organise curriculum content into coherent well sequenced teaching and learning programs. They incorporate contemporary technologies into learning sequences in ways that are meaningful for students.

Teachers use their knowledge of the curriculum to differentiate learning for students. Teachers use the curriculum to challenge students’ ideas and encourage discussion, promote students’ ongoing exploration and problem solving, plan effective assessment, and pose open ended questions. They use the curriculum as a guide to understand student learning, thinking and problem solving.