At Somtawin Witaedsuksa Huaymongkhon School in Hua Hin, I teach Computer Science across very different levels — and, interestingly, across two curricula. Primary and upper secondary follow the Cambridge syllabus, while lower secondary follows the Western Australia curriculum.
Two curricula, one subject
Each curriculum has its own strengths and its own way of sequencing ideas. Cambridge gives a clear, structured progression; the Western Australia curriculum places a strong emphasis on design, systems thinking and practical application. Teaching both means I am constantly comparing: What does each one ask students to know? What does each one ask students to do?
That comparison is healthy. It stops me from teaching a topic just because "that is how the book does it", and pushes me to ask what understanding I am really building.
What stays the same
Whatever the curriculum, my classroom rules stay constant:
- Concepts before tools. A student who understands how data, algorithms and systems work can learn any new app or language later.
- Make something. Programming, hardware and networking all stick better when students build, test and fix real things.
- Show your thinking. I would rather see a student's honest attempt and reasoning than a copied perfect answer.
Why I enjoy it
Moving between a primary class in the morning and an upper secondary class in the afternoon is a daily reminder that good teaching is mostly clarity: the right idea, at the right size, at the right moment. It is the same clarity I try to bring to my virtual assistance work — different audience, same discipline.
If you are a teacher working across curricula too, I would love to compare notes — you can reach me through the contact section on my home page.