Curriculum

#5 Null Curriculum
When I began my teaching career thirteen years ago, I had 3 preps (different courses to prepare for); Physical Education, Health, and Physical Science. Shortly after being hired, the Principal called and told me that I would be teaching a 7th grade physical science class. Several thoughts ran through my head, I started panicking after all my degree was in Physical Education, not Science. The Principal explained that my degree contained enough science courses which allowed me to teach the course. My lack of enthusiasm could not be denied, but had to remain hidden; I was fortunate to have my first teaching job in a high performing school. During pre-planning I recall sitting with my supervising administrator and we began mapping out the science course. Little did I know that the conversation was basically about Null Curriculum.
Null Curriculum is the topics that are deleted or omitted because of lack of time, interest, or knowledge. At the time I obviously had no idea it was called this, and I literally came to this realization when I began this assignment. I recall sitting with my administrator, listening to her eliminate chapters from the curriculum, explaining that they (Principal and Assistant Principal) did not expect me to cover certain topics and the class that I was teaching would not comprehend the omitted material. As a rookie teacher, who was not thrilled to be teaching science, I just sat there nodding my head in agreement; what did I know? By the time my administrator finished deleting topics, she had created a watered-down physical science class. Like a good soldier, I forged ahead and did what I was asked to do, taught the class and managed to survive multiple preps my first year. At the conclusion of the school year I was notified that I was being retained and that I would not have to teach science again. No longer a rookie, I decided to ask my administrator why I was asked to teach and why the content was gutted so drastically. Apparently nobody wanted to teach this group of kids, and each of their teachers was handpicked by Administration to ensure discipline issues were kept to a minimum.
Omitting content because the Administration felt it was above the students is criminal. This group was denied any rigor, denied the opportunity to perform experiments, and neglected. Content was stripped because this particular group of students were labeled rough, and denied an appropriate education. Honestly I was placed in a bad position from the jump when I was mandated to teach a subject I had no business teaching. The situation was compounded when content started being omitted and I was later informed that I was a glorified babysitter who was not expected to teach anything substantial. There is no way to positively spin the situation, but I definitely used it as life lesson. Unfortunately my first encounter with Null Curriculum was far from positive, and one I wish I could omit from my memory.