Why Coursebooks Don't Work for Private Students
The 5-Step Curriculum Design Process
Before anything else, understand where your student is and where they need to go. Ask: What do you use English for now? What situations are you unable to handle? What would success look like in 6 months? What have you tried before?
Don't rely on self-report ('I'm B2'). Have a structured conversation, give a grammar placement exercise, assess reading comprehension from an authentic text. Use the CEFR bands as reference but assess all four skills independently.
Translate needs into concrete, measurable goals: 'Able to give a 10-minute professional presentation in English without preparation notes by Month 3.' Specific goals enable specific lesson planning.
Decide what comes first based on urgency and dependency. Typically: core communication survival skills → professional vocabulary → genre-specific skills (presentations, emails) → advanced fluency. Build cumulative vocabulary through the sequence.
Build in formal review every 4-6 weeks: revisit original goals, assess improvement, adjust the curriculum. Students who see documented progress stay motivated; those who don't often dropout.
The Private Curriculum Framework
Needs Analysis
The foundation — what does this specific human need English for?
6-Lesson Blocks
Plan in 6-lesson blocks with a theme, then review and replan. Avoids over-commitment.
Monthly Reviews
Document and share progress explicitly — students often don't perceive their own improvement
Teacher Tip
“At the end of lesson 1, write a one-paragraph 'Learning Plan Summary' and share it with your student. It doesn't have to be formal — just a written confirmation of what you'll work on, why, and how progress will look. Students who receive this are far more likely to commit long-term. It signals professionalism and makes expectations explicit.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I follow a syllabus structure or a topic structure?
For grammar-focused students (exam prep, formal language skills), a syllabus structure (present perfect → past perfect → conditionals) works well. For conversational or professional learners, topic-based organization (emails, presentations, socializing) is more motivating.
How do I handle a student who wants to jump around topics?
Build in flexibility by design. Have a core curriculum thread (the spine) but use student-suggested topics as vehicles for the core language aims. If they want to discuss nutrition, teach the vocabulary and discourse patterns of nutrition and use them to practice your planned grammar focus.
How does DrillKit fit into curriculum planning?
DrillKit is your curriculum execution tool. Once you know the topic and vocabulary for a lesson block, generate the worksheet in 30 seconds and focus your planning time on activities, not formatting.