The sound‐bite curriculum

Abstract

American educators tend to rely on instructional methods that have been stripped of their substance and questions and packaged in an easy‐to‐use, one‐size‐fits‐all format because of the influence of the media and an environment that does not support professionalism. One of the most serious consequences of this packaging occurs when teacher educators take simplified conceptions of topics like multiculturalism or whole language and present them as dogma. Such an approach only sets new teachers up for frustration or failure. To counteract the effects of this sound‐bite curriculum, veteran teachers and teacher educators must become more active in arguing against the collection of add‐on buzzwords that intensify the teachers day and hinder effectiveness.