The backbone for education lies in the structuring of a course and the teaching methodologies used. Due to the numerous federal, state and industry requirements for training courses, professionals in curriculum and instruction are given the task of designing intuitive and educational training or curricula. You will draw upon the research and best practices of professionals throughout the nation as you help to fashion learning activities that will help students not only develop key skills, but also fundamental knowledge.

Personal Skills & Traits
The emphasis placed upon teaching means that you must be able to excel in the classroom setting yourself. Specialists understand the learning needs of students and oftentimes teach or observe teaching in classes to test the practices of instruction and curricula. Curriculum and instruction involves a broader understanding of educators as a whole and the tools and resources they have available to them. You will be enabling teachers of varying levels and disciplines to better equip their students with the life skills or professional development that they need.

Education
Curriculum and instruction, like any other field in education, relies heavily on the training programs you attend in the university setting. Online schools or traditional classroom courses will help give you a fundamental understanding of the sciences involved, in addition to the intricacies of teaching. In this particular discipline of teaching, however, educators need a strong foundation of college education. To begin a career, you will need to first become a teacher with a bachelor’s degree, though some professionals go on to earn a master’s degree. Prospective teachers will learn a wide variety of skills from managing a classroom to child or adult psychology to course design. Some classes you might expect to take would be:

• Classroom management
• Models for instruction
• Child development
• Core classes (e.g., language arts, math, etc.)
• Evaluation and assessment

Certifications
As most curriculum and instruction professionals first gain experience as a teacher, you will likely follow the same route. Depending on state requirements, you will likely need to earn a teaching certification after graduating from college. Eligibility is usually determined through a standardized exam which measures your understanding of one or more core subjects (e.g., language arts, math, science, history). Upon passing the exam, you will be well on your way toward a career in curriculum and instruction. Should you find a position without prior teaching experience, however, certification will not be required. Again, depending on state standards and the requirements of the position, you may need certifications proving your expertise on a subject.