Whenever a modification or adjustment is successful, it becomes a development of that curriculum. Over years, the curriculum will eventually reach a point where it needs little to no tweaking for the relative classroom. It is important for teachers to understand the different needs of their students year in and year out, all the while taking a prepared curriculum with an identified set of lesson plans and maximizing the learning potential of their students.
When a teacher actually modifies the lesson, he must be sure that the modification does not alter the purpose of the lesson within the curriculum. While not modifying lessons leads to lessons that are either not suited for or not inspiring enough for certain classes, following a few simple rules during modification will make life easier. Confirm against the standards of the district. Retain the focus of the lesson. Whenever possible, add. Do not subtract.
Teachers have the opportunity in many districts to receive training in curriculum development through textbook publishers who train them in the ways of maximizing the potential of the product. During district professional development sessions, teachers can also benefit from curriculum designers sharing insights into the process as well as instructional designers mapping the scope of a school-wide curriculum.
If a teacher decides to work with curriculum exclusively, he can look into specific careers. Instructional Designers and Curriculum Writers are needed both in the educational and corporate sectors. The act of teaching and learning is the same regardless of age level or purpose. By earning a specialized Master of Arts in Education in either of those fields, a teacher can make the move to developing curriculum full time.
Teachers benefit from any exposure to training in curriculum development whether in person, online or through the reading of training books. There is quite an array of material available to teachers so they can research methodologies on their own without feeling the need to earn another degree. However, if they earn the degree, then they can learn to write the books themselves.