When an instructor, teacher, or professor prepares to teach a class, they are provided with a curriculum that will guide them through the process. The person who creates the curriculum is known as a curriculum writer. They are sometimes given guidelines by school boards or districts; others follow parameters established by other governing bodies, such as private consulting firms, or are free to develop a course outline using their own resources and knowledge.
A curriculum writer, unlike a creative writer, prefers to write in a technical style. He is in charge of organizing the curriculum into logical steps. An outline is commonly used because it includes headings and subheadings that clearly illustrate the curriculum’s phases.
The ideal curriculum should have a clear goal, with each stage building on the previous. It’s also crucial for the curriculum writer to keep the plan fresh by incorporating related readings and exercises that will engage both teachers and students. Lesson plans frequently include guidelines for quizzes and essays that encourage students to discuss and expand on the topic at hand.
Teachers used to write their own curriculums as part of their jobs before the position of curriculum writer was created. Teachers developed curriculums based on what had enthused their students in the past, with or without suggestions or direction from administrative staff or governing boards, and added topics and points of view to spark interest and discussion. They would frequently include options in their curricula so that if one path appeared to be destined for boredom, teachers could change the course’s direction without losing sight of the goal.
Many curriculum writers are former teachers who have discovered that their skills are better suited to developing lesson plans than teaching in a classroom setting. Curriculum writing is a rewarding and lucrative career for technical writers with an interest in education. A curriculum writer, regardless of his or her background, must be able to follow the guidelines of whatever educational goal is set forth.
Not all curriculum writing necessitates starting from scratch. Many successful curriculums already exist and only require fine tuning, such as the addition of new information on a topic or new problem-solving approaches. What should be kept and what should be discarded is up to the curriculum writer to decide. The final approval of the curriculum is usually given by a panel of experienced educators and educational administrators, rather than by the writer.
A curriculum writer is generally required to follow guidelines submitted by the hiring administration, depending on the nature of the institution. A school board, a local or national educational standards organization, or a private consulting firm specializing in curriculum content may provide these instructions. He may also be required to be available after the curriculum has been accepted to clarify or modify certain aspects of it.