Sept 10 - Eisner on Three Curricula That All Schools Teach

 Reading this article by Elliot Eisner was a very interesting experience most of what Eisner talks about is what I find myself discussing with my peers since the beginning of this program. I thought it was interesting that for every point he raises against the school system, he adds that it need not be a totally negative things. For example, he mentions competitiveness being a the thing that drives most students, and yet it has an ugly side to it. He also mentions schools fostering complaint behaviour. This got me wondering how can I push the limits of the school system. How can I promote free thinking, strong opinions and perhaps some behaviours that are deemed "not appropriate classroom behaviour" in my classroom? What would happen if I allow my students to eat in class or take a 10 minute nap if they need it? Perhaps there is a way to do this so the students can recognize the general professional expectations and still be able to deliver on that front.

I also thought the concept of the Null Curriculum was very interesting and very important. I agreed with Eisner that not teaching something has consequences and they are not ones that we look for in the real world. I went to a high school that did not teach how a bank worked and I experienced embarrassing consequences because of that. The only classes that were taught any economics were the "Commerce" classes and I unfortunately was part of the "Non-Medical" stream. This relates back to the reward system that Eisner mentions. It left me wondering why must I be left out of important lessons like that simply because I chose to learn more about science instead of accounting?

Reading this article has definitely got me thinking and planning about how I want my classroom to look like in terms of the explicit, implicit and the null curricula I will eventually be responsible to teach. I am excited to learn some ways I can incorporate the important lessons that are usually left out in schools.