The Secret Ingredients to

Curriculum
Mapping

"....you yourselves must be filled with wonder and

when you have acquired that, you are prepared.
- Maria Montessori

Why Map?
When you curriculum map - you are
charting your journey for the next
year.
You look ahead to see where you
want to take the children you are
teaching.
It is a global view - an eagles view.
You can see the end of the roadway.
For some of you - it can be quite tricky planning ahead with an approach that is
based on the real-time interests of children.

Frankly, with the demands of public school data collection and reporting - I have
to have a tentative plan. A curriculum map will give you the freedom to teaching
authentically in a high stakes testing environment.

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You are the

true curriculum!
One of the best statements I have ever heard is that the teacher is the true
curriculum.
This is the most fundamental fact in teaching.
There is no curriculum beyond you in reality. Truly. It makes me crazy to
see the high stakes testing movement. Pushing down academics will never
improve national test scores. Why?
Academics are a by-product of the teachers passion. No passion and there
is nothing on the planet that will will improve test scores in the long run.
And thats just the surface of what it means to honor the teachers passion
first.

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Secret Ingredient #1

Personal Passion
If you think about this idea that you are the true curriculum - then your true
power in teaching is in what lights you up.
When you are enthused in your teaching, you become magnetic!
Learning is a natural outcome in an inspired teachers presence.
For me, what has always given me energy and vitality in teaching has been
the arts and fairy tales.
I absolutely love the arts - painting, drawing, puppetry, drama, drumming.
I never tire of thinking about how to integrate the arts into my lesson plans especially lesson plans grounded in fairy tales. It floats my boat! It is where
teaching gets juicy for me.

Your Passion = Childs Wonder

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Secret Ingredient #2

Enthusiasm
It is imperative to the quality of education we deliver that we begin with the soul
of education.
We must stand in life-giving forces first.
We owe it to the children to give them an education infused with OUR JOY OF
LEARNING. It will be contagious.

Being clear about what brings out your vitality in teaching will allow you to
design the themes, topics, and units authentically aligned to YOU!
While we want to be diverse in our teaching - when you are excited your
students will be right there in the moment with you.
With enthusiasm you bring them to water!
The children will follow the power of your interests and love.

Your Enthusiasm = Childs Engagement

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ACTION STEP #1

Post-It Notes
I am a post-it note addict.
I love to take my teaching passions, interests, and favorite topics and put them
on post-its.
I put them on a open wall and see the connections.
I will take a photo of my wall. This is really mind mapping your teaching passion.

Make your passions visible.

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ACTION STEP #2

Make a list.
It can be invaluable to make a list of your top teaching projects and activities.
This list can be a critical in keeping your passion in teaching alive and well! Build
this list in a google doc or in a notebook.
When I first started collecting a list of my favorite teaching projects - I had been
teaching 7 years. It took a while to remember what I had done. I am one of those
teachers that each year is a completely new year. The interests and dispositions of
the children drive the projects that arise.
I purchased a small mini notebook for my purse. I kept it with me for months
and jotted down projects as I remembered them.
IMPORTANT: This is list is not necessarily a list to use as a menu of things to
do but rather a comprehensive snapshot of your teaching wisdom - how you met
the needs of your students. This can be a document of support and inspiration as
you meet the needs of a new class.

Own your teaching wisdom.

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ACTION STEP #3

Use Howards List.

It is interesting to look at the work of Howard Gardner and the Multiple
Intelligences. It is a good resource for planning activities to ensure you are
reaching all students. Here is one chart I found online. Just google Multiple
Intelligences Product Grid.

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ACTION STEP #3

Use Howards List.

A great way to use the Multiple Intelligences framework is to look at one of the
product graph and see which intelligences do you use the majority of the time in
the classroom. Compare your favorite teaching activities to this list.
Print the graph and try highlighting the activities you do ongoingly.
Do you see intelligences that you use to teach with regularly?
My question is this - are these connected to what you are passionate about?
If you look at the products grid of the Multiple Intelligences and your favorite
activities in the classroom - it can become clear what makes you light up!
Tap this power!

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Worksheet #1:
This form is a great worksheet for capturing childrens interests and planning key
experiences. It is helpful to keep records of each years interests as it provides
amazing insights into your influence and childrens universal interests.

Yearly Planning Guide

Month

Interest/Topic

Driving Question

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Key Experiences/Provocations

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Worksheet #2:
This form provides a place to capture mandated and assessed skills and domains.
It gives you the framework to input your passionate and inspired interpretation of
how to meet those domains.

Month/Year:
Key Skills

Week One

Brain Smart Curriculum Anchors

Theme/Big Idea

Key Concepts:
Essential Experiences

Key Skills

Week Two
Powerful Stories

Key Concepts:

Key Dramatic Arts Experiences:

Key Skills

Week Three

Key Concepts:

Key Skills

Key Visual Art Experiences:

Week Four
Key Creative Movement Experiences:

Key Concepts:

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Next steps:
Curriculum mapping is a complex and time-consuming task. In my e-course
Curriculum Blueprint - I take you step-by-step to creating your own personalized
curriculum map. At the end of Curriculum Blueprint - you will have a
comprehensive view of your year based on your passions and the requirements of
your workplace.
To find out more information, please go to http://fairydustteaching.com/

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