"The education of even a small child, therefore, does not aim at preparing him for school, but for life."

  - Maria Montessori

If teachers are preparing their learners for life then they need to engage them with life and the world in which they live. Our children will grow up and they will become the stewards of the earth. How we engage them today will determine the future.

Julia Fliss is a 6th grade English Language Arts teacher at Evergreen Middle School in Evergreen, Colorado. She believes in challenging her students to look out the window of her classroom and see themselves as global citizens who are aware of the world in which they live and their obligation to it by integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as a framework for her classroom. Julia is a 2019-2020 TeachSDG Ambassador and she actively engages on Twitter. You can follow her at @juliafliss.

In this episode I learn how Julia challenges her students to find their passions, discover a purpose, and make a difference in the world by taking them beyond the curriculum.

"I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out..."

- Temple Grandin

The teacher’s primary job is to help students find their own voices. Because when we do, we help them become people who can engage with the world and, ultimately, make it a better place. Language, socio-economics, and physical and neurological diversity should not justify students sitting silently in the back. But how can educators help all students find their voices?

Kristine Napper, is an English Language Development teacher at Whitford Middle School in Beaverton, Oregon, and author of the book A Kids Book About Disabilities. Kristine challenges her students to use technology as a tool to find their voices in order for them to build autonomy and the confidence to engage in the world. She is a TEDx presenter and you can follow her blog at www.kristinenapper.com

In this episode of I have the pleasure to learn how Kristine uses techquity as an opportunity for students to engage in complex learning that takes them beyond the curriculum.

It is fairly common for students to ask, “When will I ever use this?” This is not a meant to disparage the curriculum, but rather it is a challenge for teacher to make the content meaningful and worthwhile.

Michelle Cottrell-Williams, is an instructional coach at Gunston Middle School in

Michelle sees herself as a disruptor who challenges her students to not only question the status-quo, but also to engage as citizens who are responsible for the future of their community.

In this episode of I have the pleasure to learn how Michelle uses inquiry to challenge her students to think about their role in society and taking them beyond the curriculum.

Follow:

Twitter

Website

Resources:

Think Like Socrates: Using Questions to Invite Wonder and Empathy Into the Classroom, Grades 4-12

C3 Teachers Website

Jennifer Lempp’s Math Workshop

When teachers create structures that "drop fear" and draw their students to them and to one another they create spaces where students can reach for the stars, and education is about discovering the limitless potential.

Jessica Zeller, PhD, is an associate professor of Dance at Texas Christian University and author of Shapes of American Ballet and has contributed to several anthologies of dance and blogs at jessicazeller.net.

Jessica places a strong emphasis on building relationships with her students and is apparent through her Twitter handle @jessicazeller.

In this episode of Beyond the Curriculum I have the pleasure to learn more about how Jessica develops relationships to impact learning.

It is the joy of reading that teachers want to inspire within their learners. However, somewhere along the way we lose sight of this and feel the pressure to assess reading with tests, essays, and presentations. The result: the joy of reading wanes, not only for students but for teachers. And thus, it drives teachers to begin to look for ways to catch students NOT reading which further perpetuates this problem.

Marisa Thompson is a high school English teacher and Professional Development Instructor at the University of San Diego. She is an Innovation Support Coach and speaker. In 2019 Marisa was named San Diego Innovative Educator of the Year. She is author of the blog Unlimited Teacher and has been featured on the Cult of Pedagogy Podcast.

Marisa developed an approach to reading known as Thoughts, Questions, and Epiphanies (also known as TQE) which is embraced by teachers and students around the world because of its student-centered, authentic approach to reading.

In this episode of Beyond the Curriculum, I have the pleasure to learn more about Marisa’s approach to reading.

— Arthur Ashe

In the wake of nation-wide protests that resulted from the death of an African American man at the knee of white police officers, it is clear racism is deeply ingrained in the fabric of our county. However, it is also clear that many Americans want to confront racism in order to become a nation that values ALL of its citizens regardless of race. Though conversations around racism are difficult, they are necessary if we want to make a significant impact.

So, how can teachers start having conversations about racism within their building?

Dr. Shantha Smith is an Equity and Excellence Coordinator and Instructional Lead Educator in Arlington, VA, where she works to transform school culture. She is dedicated to making her school a more equitable learning environment for all students by challenging staff to reflect on how their practice is informed by implicit bias and the impact it makes on students of color.

In this episode, I have the pleasure to learn how Dr. Smith opens these conversations with colleagues which challenges them to think in ways that take them, beyond the curriculum.

If the purpose of writing is to do something bold and creative, does formal writing instruction typically used in schools help learners achieve this? Well, actually, the purpose of formulaic writing is to help students pass mandated state writing assessments and I, for one, have never been inspired by any five-paragraph essay.

So, how do we help students become writers with guts and imagination?

John Warner is a writer, speaker, teacher, and author of Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities. As a teacher of writing, he emphasizes the author’s voice and challenges his learners to break free of formulaic writing. He views writing as a tool to solve problems and calls his prompts “Writing Problems.”

In this episode of Beyond the Curriculum I have the pleasure to learn about how John helps students discover the writer within by moving students away from formulas and think beyond the curriculum.

Jean Piaget has suggested that the principal goal of education should be to create learners who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what others in the past have done; but rather people who are creative, inventive, and inquisitive. This the essence of progressive education.

Beyond the Curriculum is a podcast dedicated to promoting progressive education. Each episode will feature an educator who will share practical approaches listeners can immediately use in their classrooms. Guests will explain how they promote creativity, innovation, and compassion. This podcast is for those who want to make learning more meaningful and build environments of makers, thinkers, and world-changers.

So join me, Aaron Blackwelder, each week as I learn about the amazing learning going on in classrooms around the world.  Lessons that offer opportunities that take learners beyond the curriculum