You're the Teacher... Not the Curriculum -

I cannot stand when I hear of teachers being forced to use a curriculum from front to back, as is.

Because if you’re like me, you’ve used curriculum that feels rigid or overwhelming, or just doesn’t fit the needs of your students.

Here’s the thing, your curriculum is a tool, not a rulebook. It’s meant to guide you, but you’re the one who knows your students best.

In this post I’m talking about something that might just take a weight off your shoulders — you don’t have to teach every single lesson in your curriculum.

I’m going to share just how you can do that, so you can make learning more engaging and meaningful for your students.

Why You Don’t Have to Teach Every Lesson

First, let’s address the idea that skipping or modifying lessons might feel wrong. I get it. Most of us were trained to follow a curriculum closely, or that is the expectation from admin.

But here’s the truth: not every lesson in a curriculum is essential.

Curriculums are designed to be broad enough to cover different types of learners, different pacing needs, and different school requirements.

That means that sometimes, they include lessons that might be repetitive for your students, too challenging without enough scaffolding, or just not the best way to introduce a concept.

Think about it this way. Your ultimate goal is student understanding, not just checking off lessons.

If you find that a lesson isn’t clicking with your class, change things up.

You can swap out a less effective lesson with a more hands-on, engaging, and interactive activity.

When to Swap a Lesson for a Game or Interactive Activity

So how do you know when it’s time to ditch a lesson and try something else?

Here are a few signs:

Your students are struggling to understand the concept. If they’re confused and the lesson isn’t helping, it might be time to try a different approach.
The lesson might be too easy or repetitive. Some curriculums build in more review than your students actually need, and if they’ve already mastered a skill, there’s no need to go through unnecessary steps.
Engagement is low. If students are zoning out or not participating, that’s a sign that you might need to change your approach.

How to Replace a Lesson with a More Effective Activity

Now let’s get into some practical ways to swap out a lesson for something more effective. The key is to think about what your students need and how they learn best. Here are a few strategies:

Use manipulatives in math instead of just working through problems on a worksheet. For example, if you’re teaching double-digit addition with regrouping, let students use base-ten blocks or place value charts to physically move numbers around.

Try whiteboards or interactive notebooks so students can show their thinking in a more engaging way.

Small group reteaching can be more effective than pushing through a full-class lesson that isn’t working. Divide the students up into these groups: students that are struggling with a skill, those that have mastered it, and those that need a challenge. This helps you differentiate while keeping the kids engaged.

Games are a great way to reinforce concepts while keeping students excited about learning.

If your curriculum includes a word study lesson about decoding multisyllabic words, create a tic-tac-toe board and have students play as they practice decoding.

For math, instead of a worksheet, try a game like Area and Perimeter Bingo where kids practice solving area and perimeter problems while trying to get Bingo.

Sometimes, a simple tweak like adding movement, discussion, or a bit of competition can make all the difference in helping kids understand and remember a concept.

To recap, you don’t have to teach every lesson just because it’s in the curriculum. You want to make sure your students understand and engage with the material, and sometimes that means making changes.

If a lesson isn’t working, don’t be afraid to swap it out for a game, an activity, or a different approach that better fits your students’ needs.

You can grab any of the resources mentioned in this post in my website shop or TpT store.