Do your curriculum expectations equal the time you have to teach and prep?
In many cases, educator expectations equal up to two to three times the actual time-on-task and time-for-prep thus creating stress and potential inequitable treatment.
You can't keep adding without taking away.
What's a teacher or administrator to do?
First, look carefully and realistically at the time available in a day. Don't forget the time needed for safe and peaceful transitions, conflict resolution, and valued add-ons such as cultural enrichment, school assembly, field studies, and more.
Then look at the curriculum priorities--what are we teaching, and how much time does that realistically take. If we rush the curriculum, we don't teach well.
Then to make better and teach deeper, reach for worthy integrated, interdisciplinary units that reflect current research and include the desired standards.
This is good teaching.
