Behold a Curricular Symphony, a Sonata, or an Etude Performed by Undisciplined Musicians?

Abstract

Really we are not overly concerned about the heated debates over discipline based, interdisciplinary, and integrated curriculum models (see MSJ March 1998 & November 1998). There are fine argu ments for each of them, presented by learned and intelligent people of good will. Each has weaknesses as well. We have seen outstanding teaching and learning accomplished through many different cur ricular models. We are, however, terribly alarmed at the prospect of any curricula being conducted by predisci plinary teachers. We agree that there are many prob lems with the academic disciplines as currently defined, and we are not wedded to any of them. We do, howev er, believe that teachers — including middle level teach ers — need rigorous, programmatic preparation leading to a high degree of content knowledge and skill for what they will be teaching. By predisciplinary we mean teachers who do not possess the knowledge base or course work in the discipline in which they are teach ing. For example, a middle level social studies teacher teaching seventh grade science or a teacher who has a secondary certificate in German teaching music. How can they teach the kids? If they are working in teams, how do they help their colleagues develop interdiscipli nary or integrated lessons? How can they be free to develop age-appropriate, learner-sensitive lessons if they are chained to the textbook? How will this affect their morale—how long will they stay in teaching? Van Doren (1943, p. 122) put it most elegantly: The undis ciplined individual is free only to do things badly. his editorial reflections in the March 1998 issue of Middle School Journal, Erb (1998) insightfully uses the metaphor of the symphony, the sonata, and the etude to open a discussion of various approaches to curriculum composition (p. 2). However, we would prefer not to listen to any of these improvised by tone deaf, unskilled performers. Erb begins these reflections with a well-intentioned incipit: In fighting the tradi tions of subject-centered curricular organization... But why should middle school advocates be fighting against the traditions that provide the basis for what they do? Discipline-based instruction and non-disci pline-based instruction are not antithetical; they are merely different. Both are, however, incompatible with detached, clumsy, and uninformed teaching done by Mwdisciplined teachers. Teachers need a preparation that would empower them to do both discipline-based and non-discipline-based education capably.