But I soon noticed another issue: many of them also wanted to cover everything before the test. They've figured out which lessons to omit, which lessons to consolidate, which assignments to make, how to present the information to small groups, whole groups, and...
Whew!
You see, these teachers - as good as their intentions may be - want to get to it all, and in doing so, they skip across the surface of everything. I fear that in skipping along the surface, they fail to swim in the deep waters. They rush to get things done in hopes of adhering to a pacing guide.
It is a trap that emerges from committing themselves to a script, failing to keep their classrooms autonomous, and failing to take empowerment by the horns. It is a trap that comes from relying on a text. It is a trap deriving from an inability to create and instill creativity.
If you are of this ilk, my suggestion is to get your nose out of the book, curate your own materials, grow your own style, go off script, and take the bull by the horns. Whenever you teach, teach well. Never be satisfied with simply exposing your students to a topic rather than covering it more fully. If it's worth teaching, it's worth making it stick. We're not in the business of handing out samples; we are in the business of serving full meals.