Being Mindful of Hidden Curriculum

 

The manner in which a teacher sets up the classroom and establishes certain routines creates a hidden curriculum for students.  Within my classroom decisions are made to send and reinforce a message to the students that I feel will help them in the long run.

One thing I consistently do is to answer students’ questions with questions.  

 Does this annoy students? Yes.  

Do they get frustrated at times? Yes.  

Why do I do it?  I am trying to encourage self-reliance.  Students have or can find the answers to most of their questions. I will lead them with the questions that they should be asking themselves as reflective learners so that they may discover their own answers.  Students struggle with meta-cognition.  Helping to model that for them assists them to better embrace that approach.  As the year progresses, they become more adept at quickly answering my questions to their questions or become more self-reliant.

Another part of the the unspoken agenda is the arrangement of the desks.  I never have the desks arranged in rows.  They are always positioned so that students can easily communicate with one another.  Desks are either arranged so that students can turn and speak with someone right next to them easily or do the same with someone right behind/in front of them. The message is that trusting, learning, and processing with their peers is a priority.  Every day, multiple times, students are encouraged to interact.  They learn best with multiple interactions and when they are processing with others.  The more opportunities they have to speak, the greater their learning. Student collaboration is essential for student growth.

  The decor of the classroom also clearly gets across priorities to the students.  

Curiosity is good.  Several artifacts around the room reinforce that students should explore.  There is an Egyptian bust, a flag flown over the U.S. capitol, Gee O. Beast, and a map with the northern and southern hemispheres reversed among other items.  Students are intrigued by these and ask questions.  Their intrinsic desire to learn is touched. 

Posters and a quote board also adorn the classroom.  These reinforce that students are powerful beings who are capable of great things.  I want students to know that, even though they may grapple with learning, with their peers or with other struggles, they can persevere and accomplished much.

The message teachers send their students through the routines and design of the classroom is just as important as content, if not more.  When a teacher is in tune with the hidden curriculum, the classroom can better meet the needs of the students and have a subtle, yet strong, influence.

If you have essential parts of your hidden curriculum or, if this post has generated some thoughts of your own, please share them in the comments. I would appreciate hearing about them.