The Hidden Curriculum
November 1, 2004
The hidden curriculum refers to all those things that are taught and learned in school that are not part of the official curriculum. This would include all the unwritten rules that children encounter when first integrated into the school system. These rules have to do with such matters as expectations (work must be neat and completed on time), behaviour (no running in the hallways, no vulgar language, no chewing gum), and the establishment of roles (teacher vs. student) among other things. The school also serves as a transmitter of cultural values, norms, and dispositions, which can also be included in the hidden curriculum.
This being said, from the time students step foot inside your classroom on the first day of school, you are sending them a message. If you are asking how, my response would be, simple arrangement of the classroom speaks volumes. If you have your desks all in rows facing the teacher’s desk, this clearly states who’s in charge. If you have the desks arranged in groups, this clearly states that this is a team effort and the only demand is mutual respect.
This hidden curriculum is an overall scary concept. After all, no teacher wants to intentionally damage a young child’s impressionable mind. We want to be idea makers and not idea breakers. However, everything we teach is enforcing the status quo, or going against it. As we are all aware, learning doesn’t take place in a vacuum. No matter how hard we try, subconscious attitudes and opinions are always going to find their way to the surface.
Maybe the solution to the hidden curriculum lies in teaching our students to be critical consumers of information. This means teaching the necessary content, but allowing discussion and questioning. Any questions brought up in class should be answered as fully as possible. This may mean doing outside research, but it will make you a more well-rounded teacher. Chances are this freedom to question will provide students with the opportunity to explore their interests and make the content relevant to their personal environments. In the end, teachers just need to be aware of time constraints, and be able to provide evidence that their students learned the outlined curriculum. How you reach that endpoint really shouldn’t matter.
Even though some people are going to question whether the needs of the establishment are being met with this “critical thinkers” mentality, I would have to say we live in a democratic society. As such, we are all supposed to have a say in our future. It is not a true democracy unless we are informed voters. Teaching students to think critically will only allow them to effectively decipher all the information they are being given before going to the polls. This will thereby strengthen democracy, thus serving the needs of the establishment that decided we are a democratic country.
The hidden curriculum refers to all those things that are taught and learned in school that are not part of the official curriculum. This would include all the unwritten rules that children encounter when first integrated into the school system. These rules have to do with such matters as expectations (work must be neat and completed on time), behaviour (no running in the hallways, no vulgar language, no chewing gum), and the establishment of roles (teacher vs. student) among other things. The school also serves as a transmitter of cultural values, norms, and dispositions, which can also be included in the hidden curriculum.
This being said, from the time students step foot inside your classroom on the first day of school, you are sending them a message. If you are asking how, my response would be, simple arrangement of the classroom speaks volumes. If you have your desks all in rows facing the teacher’s desk, this clearly states who’s in charge. If you have the desks arranged in groups, this clearly states that this is a team effort and the only demand is mutual respect.
This hidden curriculum is an overall scary concept. After all, no teacher wants to intentionally damage a young child’s impressionable mind. We want to be idea makers and not idea breakers. However, everything we teach is enforcing the status quo, or going against it. As we are all aware, learning doesn’t take place in a vacuum. No matter how hard we try, subconscious attitudes and opinions are always going to find their way to the surface.
Maybe the solution to the hidden curriculum lies in teaching our students to be critical consumers of information. This means teaching the necessary content, but allowing discussion and questioning. Any questions brought up in class should be answered as fully as possible. This may mean doing outside research, but it will make you a more well-rounded teacher. Chances are this freedom to question will provide students with the opportunity to explore their interests and make the content relevant to their personal environments. In the end, teachers just need to be aware of time constraints, and be able to provide evidence that their students learned the outlined curriculum. How you reach that endpoint really shouldn’t matter.
Even though some people are going to question whether the needs of the establishment are being met with this “critical thinkers” mentality, I would have to say we live in a democratic society. As such, we are all supposed to have a say in our future. It is not a true democracy unless we are informed voters. Teaching students to think critically will only allow them to effectively decipher all the information they are being given before going to the polls. This will thereby strengthen democracy, thus serving the needs of the establishment that decided we are a democratic country.
posted by Chantelle @ 11:09 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home