Culture and curriculum. Other than the fact that words share a couple of similar letters. What do they have in common.... or do they have anything in common?
Culture, simply put, is a collection of symbols, events, and social interactions for a group of people (in this case, a school).
Curriculum, for this example, a high school, is the courses that a student takes and what they learn within a year of study.
Having taught in 2 states, 4 school districts, and 3 different grade levels, I have seen a variety of culture and a difference in curriculum.
My first year of teaching the curriculum was a mess. No one could help me figure out how to implement standards based grading into a middle school math class (yet it was required) and the culture was a dumpster fire too. Other teachers did not care for the rest of the staff, the administration was not true leadership and when the time came, I was ready to jump ship (honestly, I wanted to quit teaching altogether).
I was able to teach for five years at a different district, prior to our family making a big move. This district showed me how a department and a building can get a long. How staff can treat each other with respect and learn and lean into helping each other. Having a strong team helped guide me into a more successful teaching role and the curriculum became second nature.
Now, going into my tenth year of teaching at a high school, I am 'coming into my own' and really see the value of culture.
Culture to me is the environment I want my students to experience. Sadly, the culture in my classroom does not 100% match that of the building (from what I can tell). I have had students tell me that my classroom is safe, fun, and inviting. That learning math can be fun! They know that my expectations are high, but also realistic. I think there are times that my "middle school roots" shine, and I focus more on my students' big picture as a humanitarian instead of 'just a teacher'. Yes, graduation is important. Yes, making good choices is important. However, realistically, the courses I teach do not have all the lawyers and doctors. I want the students to know that they are loved, that I am proud of their hard work, and that they are capable of greatness.
If I had to change one thing in our building, it would be using our PLC time to discuss more about culture and not focus so much on data of test scores. There are changes happening in our building, and who knows what a new principal might bring.
But, I do know that we all can do better. That if we want to see our students grow, we (as educators) need to grow too.
And just for 'good measure' I am including the image of my "curriculum crunch recipe"
