I was both a trainer and the lead curriculum developer for the PassageWorks Institute’s SMART in Education program, an 8-week occupational stress reduction course.
The process involved the following steps (with plenty of conversation and revision):
Phase 1:
- Learning all about the program in its initial form (a version existed before I came on board). I reviewed all related materials and had in-depth conversations with the director and co-director.
- Consulting with the primary subject matter expert in a series of in-person and phone meetings.
- Gaining a clear understanding of who would be participating in the course and what their learning needs were. I researched the stressors in this occupational group (school teachers, administrators, and support staff) and incorporated my own experiences as a teacher and teacher trainer.
- Making recommendations for improvements in the program’s structure, flow, and content.
- Writing the initial version of the course manual and participant handbook, in close collaboration with the team.
Phase 2:
- Revising the course manual and participant handbook after several classes had been held and the project turned over to a new director. Over the course of multiple conversations and meetings, we added new components and notes for new instructors.
As you can see, this was a multistep process with plenty of team input. This is the type of project I love working on – thoughtful, in-depth, and results-oriented.
Here are a few pages from the most recent instructor manual (the finished product).
Please contact me to discuss how I can help you with your curriculum development needs.