Identifying lesson topics

The lesson topics that teachers should address in their instruction are usually predetermined by the state in the form of curriculum planning guidelines or pacing guides. English I has a pacing guide that says what should be covered in what amount of time. I usually don't like pacing guides because they either a)do not line up with the test (in other words, what they are taught and what they are assessed on are not congruent) or b) has you focus on one goal at a time, so you are teaching goal 1 in January and never talking about it again until the week before the test in June. I think goals should be addressed daily in small ways so that progress is gradual. Like in a 90 minute period, you devote 15 minutes to each goal. Or maybe you address goals daily. Monday is goal 1, Tuesday is goal 2, etc. Then when you get to the end of the year, you aren't having to remind students about something they forgot a long time ago. BUT the pacing guide does tell you what to teach and when usually, which is a big help as far as doing what you are supposed to do. I just think it is more beneficial in subjects where there is no EOC or the EOC and curriculum are somewhat congruent.