Whether a class is being taught for the first time or the fiftieth, a “road map” always helps the instructor and the students stay on track and understand where they’ve been and where they are going. To prepare to use the Course Organizer Routine, the teacher begins by outlining the key questions that every student should be able to answer at the end of the course on a form called the Course Organizer. Next, the teacher generates a list of the critical concepts that will be taught in the course and creates a simple map that shows how course information is organized into units. Finally, the teacher lists the core values and activities that will guide learning, as well as the standards by which students will be graded. Once a draft of the Course Organizer has been completed, the teacher shares the course plan with the students by using the interactive Course Organizer Routine. Students record the information on their own Course Organizers, which they keep and refer to at the beginning of and during each unit throughout the course.

Learn More about the research behind The Course Organizer Routine