"There's Only One Way"

Melissa teaches a class of 18 three- and four-year-old children from diverse cultures in a school district with a history of low achievement and test scores. The new superintendent has promised the board of education that he will turn the district around in three years. The superintendent has hired a new preschool coordinator because he believes that one of the best ways to close the district's achievement gap is to begin as early as possible. The new preschool coordinator has recommended the adoption of a skills-based curriculum that includes the use of direct instruction, other teacher-centered approaches, and a scripted curriculum. According to her, "There is only one way to teach children what they need to know, and that is to directly teach them. We can't fool around with all this child-centered stuff."

Direct instruction of basic skills and teacher-centered instructional practices are contrary to what Melissa learned in her teacher education classes at the university. In addition, these approaches do not fit with her view of child-centered and developmentally appropriate practice.