What is the curriculum?
What is the curriculum?
At The Curiosity Approach® we look to turn current academic thinking and practice on its head. To unburden ourselves from a formal curriculum driven by areas of learning, standards and set targets set by distant governmental bodies. It’s not our primary objective - the child IS!
At The Curiosity Approach® we see, hear and understand the individual child. They are our driver. Our WHY!
John Dewey an American philosopher and educational reformer stated “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.”
He believed ‘education is not about preparing a child for life, education is life itself.’
He stated that educations starts with the needs and interests of the child, allowing them to plan their course of study and it relies heavily on experimental learning.
The art of doing and this is can be seen in today’s characteristics of effective learning!
So when are we going to regain our power, knowledge and strength?
When are we going to be led by the child & their interest in life. Instead what’s been planned for them on a daily plan or six week plan.
It’s hard to let go of habits, years of timetabled activities regurgitated to fit every theme & topic, isn’t it?
Documented evidence that shows we are striving for a goal of education! It’s written proof to powers that be - that children are learning!
But when you look at things differently, suddenly everything starts to change.
Let’s remember children ARE learning a thousand more times that what’s been documented and did they even learn what WE predicted - is our documentation even correct then ?
When we let go of planning - We regain our power, our knowledge and wealth of experiences and are no longer beholden to a curriculum designed and created by someone who doesn’t even know our children( who has never met them) and has generalised a curriculum to meet a nation instead of an individual!
We stop expecting children to learn what’s scheduled on a plan & SEE that learning doesn’t happen in isolation & pockets of time - that WE designed ! It’s continuous & we could never ever document or PREDICT this accurately.
We are not fortune tellers.
At The Curiosity Approach® Instead we serve the individual child. For they are the only curriculum we need!
As Steiner said “The Child is the curriculum”
* Please DON’T take this as a message to immediately go dump all your planning ( it takes time to unlearn the old and re learn the new)
For many this is a security blanket and it will take time to regain confidence in own knowledge , thinking, abilities and to trust in the child.
To understand what quality teaching and learning looks like.
It has to begin with in-depth understanding of child development. It HAS to!
To see the value of connections, relationships, getting down and engaging with a child! To see & recognise thousands of moments where quality teaching and learning happens everyday and slowly recognise that formal planning is just lip service to the amazing things that happen daily!
When this can be articulated with ease and confidence. When you no longer look to a timetable or theme - planning is surplus to requirements. It’s becomes a waste of precious time that is best spent doing what you love being with the child! ❤️
Like we say in The Curiosity Approach® ‘it’s a JOURNEY’
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