Every six years, the Australian curriculum is reviewed to ensure it maintains best practice and has the greatest influence on student learning. After being endorsed in 2022 by the education ministers, the new curriculum and its implementation timelines have been released. Along with these announcements comes the added stress on teachers as they take on more responsibility to ensure the new curriculum integrates seamlessly into the classroom.
A curriculum change brings on a lot of work for the school community, whether or not the changes make a positive impact on classroom practice. Some teachers might see value in the changes as the curriculum is decluttered and has a stronger focus on deepening understanding across all years. For others, it could feel as though it’s pulling you away from what matters, planning engaging lessons and connecting with students to fill misconceptions. Either way, taking control of the change early is essential so it doesn’t take over and feel like it’s controlling you.
Don’t let the changes sneak up on you! Start researching what you need to know before Term 2 ends. A lot of information is being released, and with over 639 pages of course documentation, you need to find the right resources to support your classroom. Each state has a different timeline to follow, so become familiar with your requirements. Resources such as the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 can be helpful and have a simple breakdown of what each state needs to know. You can also visit the official Australian Curriculum website for an extended tour of what the changes will bring.
When managing a change that affects the whole school, it’s important to consider if you have a holistic approach. A great place to start is to create a bank of resources your team can lean on as one centralised source of information. Don’t forget to ask lots of questions! Your leadership team might not have all the answers straight away, but having regular conversations keeps everyone informed when decisions are made.
Technology is a crucial part of any classroom and when used correctly it can reduce teacher workload, take over administrative tasks, automate communication and manage data and reporting. As a result, you can gain more time to focus on your students and target learning needs. This is no different when it comes to flicking the switch on the curriculum. The EdTech companies that have worked hard over the past two years will have curriculum-aligned content ready to go, including lesson plans, assessments and sequencing documents.
This transition might be your first experience with a curriculum change or you might be a seasoned veteran. Either way, don’t forget to prioritise your well-being. This year will be jam-packed and as we head into Term 2, which is already full of interruptions make sure you look after yourself and your class. Reach out to leadership for support, share the workload with your colleagues, maintain your work-life balance and don’t take this process on by yourself.
Maths Pathway have been keeping up with the curriculum review since it began two years ago. We've been working hard on resources that will help you manage the change, including lesson plans, classroom activities and sequencing documents. Now that the new Australian Curriculum is live, we're giving Maths Pathway teachers the ability to ‘switch it on’ in the Maths Pathway portal when it’s time for their school to implement. That means you can move to the new curriculum when you’re ready, easily and quickly.
Are you ready to implement a model that makes the new curriculum as easy as ‘switching it on’?
