I just finished my first year of teaching dental hygiene, and what a year it’s been! As someone new to the profession, I’m learning every day—not just about clinical skills and patient care, but also about how important solid planning is to make everything run smoothly. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate three key tools that help me stay organized and keep my students on track: curriculum maps, pacing guides, and lesson plans. Each one serves a different purpose, but together they form the backbone of effective teaching and learning.
What’s a Curriculum Map?
For me, the curriculum map is like a roadmap for the entire year. It shows what students should learn and makes sure everything lines up with the standards and flows well across courses or grade levels. Curriculum maps are usually created by curriculum writers and instructional leaders, but I’m just starting to understand how they shape what I do in the classroom. They follow backward design principles—starting with clear learning goals and planning content around those goals (Archambault & Masunaga, 2015). This big-picture thinking helps keep expectations consistent, which is comforting as I build my own lessons.
How Does a Pacing Guide Fit In?
Once I know what needs to be taught, the pacing guide breaks that down into a timeline I can follow throughout the year. These guides are often developed by instructional leaders and teams with input from teachers, and they help balance going deep on topics with making sure everything gets covered (Johnson-Gerendes, 2015). I’m still getting used to trusting pacing guides and adjusting them based on how my students respond, but they’ve definitely kept me on track during busy semesters.
And the Lesson Plan?
Lesson plans are where I get to get creative and really connect with my students. These daily plans include specific objectives, teaching strategies, and activities that bring the curriculum goals to life. I try to include inquiry-based learning to help my students think critically about what they’re doing (Johnson, Uline, & Perez, 2014). Since every class and clinic day can be different, I appreciate how flexible lesson plans are—they let me adjust as I learn more about my students’ needs.
This infographic was created by D. Trybom using Canva (www.canva.com).
Why Do These Tools Matter Together?
I’m discovering that each tool builds on the one before it:
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Curriculum maps answer what to teach.
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Pacing guides answer when to teach it.
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Lesson plans answer how to teach it.
For a new teacher like me, especially in dental hygiene where clinical and classroom work are so connected, having these tools makes a big difference.
Who’s Behind These Tools?
Curriculum maps are usually put together by curriculum developers and instructional leaders, with input from teams to keep things consistent. Pacing guides come from instructional leaders and grade-level teams, with teacher feedback. Lesson plans? Those are all me—my chance each day to take what’s planned and turn it into learning my students can use.
How Do Design Theories Come Into Play?
Curriculum maps align with backward design and Understanding by Design by starting with learning goals and organizing content around them (Archambault & Masunaga, 2015). Pacing guides follow this structure by sequencing the content thoughtfully across the year (Johnson-Gerendes, 2015). Lesson plans bring inquiry-based learning into practice, encouraging students to engage actively with the material (Johnson, Uline, & Perez, 2014). I’m still learning to balance these theories in my own teaching, but seeing how they connect helps me grow.
Teaching my first year has shown me just how much goes on behind the scenes to help students succeed. These tools help me keep everything organized and focused—so I can focus on what matters most: my students and their learning.
Thanks for following along with me on this journey!
References
Archambault, S. G., & Masunaga, J. (2015). Curriculum mapping as a strategic planning tool. Journal of Library Administration, 55(6), 503–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2015.1054770
Johnson, J. F., Uline, C. L., & Perez, L. G. (2014). The quest for mastery. Educational Leadership, 72(2), 48–53. https://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct14/vol72/num02/The-Quest-for-Mastery.aspx
Johnson-Gerendes, C. (2015). Keys to curriculum mapping [Video]. Sage Knowledge. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506321042
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