The Hidden Curriculum
What are schools really teaching students?
This post is part of a series by @edpsychprof where I share edited highlights from my K12 guide to education along with additional thoughts and commentary.
I may be pessimistic, but I'm not nihilistic. After all, I've been a teacher for almost 30 years. I'm just saying that before anyone decides to take up our profession, it's important to know that as a teacher, it is easier to do more harm than good. There are always unintended consequences to our actions, and the stakes are exceedingly high because we have other people's lives in our care*
The hidden curriculum refers to the unwritten rules and procedures students learn in school from how they are treated, the culture of the school and classroom, and the expectations held by their peers, teachers, coaches, administrators. The hidden curriculum can be positive, such as when schools hold strong norms for equity and implement practices that are beneficial for all students, or it can be negative, such as when schools communicate to students anything that demeans them, takes away their hope, takes away their power and autonomy, makes them feel “less than,” makes them feel stupid, or makes them feel unseen or unheard. Sometimes, and for some students, the hidden curriculum is like the “Upside Down” in the television show Stranger Things: While some students only see the ordinary reality and emerge from schooling relatively unscathed, for others, especially those who come from more marginalized populations or who are just different from the typical student, the hidden curriculum can have more disturbing overtones.
Below, I highlight 13 concerning things students may learn in school. I then give an example of something a student might say that indicates they may hold this belief, followed by suggestions for how to address each issue. This post is directed toward parents, but anyone who works with children can use it to diagnose problematic beliefs about learning.
1. Learning means memorizing facts and performing rote or onerous skills. Your child might say, “What I learn in school doesn’t matter to me or my life.” What you can do: Help them make connections between what they are learning and skills and knowledge needed in the outside world. For example, if the class is learning about earth science, you can connect this with the local rocks in your area, identify a few rocks together, and use what you discovered to help your child understand the geology of the region.
2. Students who are quiet and well-behaved, or students who are quick to answer and please the teacher, are the “good students.” Your child might say, “If I’m not like the other kids, I’m not a good student.” What you can do: Let them know there are different types of personalities in the class, and that all belong. There are students who think quickly and those who think more slowly and deliberately, and both are valuable ways of thinking. Some students are introverts (who are often quieter and seem “well behaved”) and some are extroverts (who are outgoing and often speak up). Extroverts and highly active students may find it more difficult to sit still or be quiet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t good learners. Share examples of smart extroverts, such as former Apple CEO Steve Jobs or media personality Oprah Winfrey.
3. Some students’ thoughts and opinions seem to matter more than others. Your child might say: My opinion doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what I say; no one listens to me. What you can do: Look for opportunities for your child to develop leadership skills, such as in Junior Achievement programs offered at some schools, mentoring by a local business leader, participation in debate clubs or youth Toastmaster events. Let them know their voice matters.
4. Students from low-income families are more likely to be taught obedience and given less challenging tasks. Your child might say: School is boring; all the teacher wants is for me to be quiet. Some teachers focus more on managing student behaviors than supporting student thinking. What you can do: This is one that requires intervention on your part with the teacher. If you see that your child is not being challenged, make an appointment to meet with the teacher and share that you want your child to be more engaged in learning. You may also meet with the school counselor to see what options are available to you. Note that giving your child more homework is not an appropriate teacher response to your request. You are not asking for more busy work for your child but for the teacher to set higher expectations for their work and to help them meet those expectations.
5. Teachers and administrators have all the power, and students don’t. Your child might say: I do not have much say in what or how I learn. Teachers don’t care what I think. What you can do: Many schools really don’t give students much of a voice or choice in their learning. At the very least, lobby to get the student government more involved in school decision making. You might need to volunteer to be the parent representative to the student government, but it’s worth it: An active student government can help give students more of a voice in how the school operates.
6. Good grades, academic success, getting into a good college and getting a good career are what really matters in life. Your child might say: School is for smart kids. School is just to help me get a job someday. It doesn’t matter to me now. What you can do: Talk to your child about their hopes and dreams, what kind of life do they want for themselves? What is important to them? Then be strategic and find out how to create learning experiences to support your child. I detail specific ways to do this in my book, such as making their existing education better (Part 7), changing schools if possible (Chapter 8: The Paradox of Choice), working with their teacher to create a better learning environment (Part 3), improving their learning, motivation, or social skills (Part 5), addressing unique circumstances (Part 6), and/or adding enrichment experiences to their existing schedule (Part 4).
7. Math is a series of procedures and facts you must memorize, and only some kids are good at it. Your child might say: Math is just about memorizing stupid facts. I am not a math person. What you can do: Ah, math. It has become normalized to say that one is “bad at math,” but all kids can do math, and, unless they suffer severe cognitive impairment, all kids can learn advanced math, even calculus. Never let your child think it’s ok to be “bad at math.” If they struggle, let them know they just need a different approach or a different teacher. Get tutoring help, either via an online site like Khan Academy or a place that offers after school tutoring. Or hire a local high school teen to come over and help. Don’t let early difficulties in math slide because these will continue to plague your child throughout their entire school and professional career.
8. Science and social studies are about memorizing a bunch of facts about the world and recalling them for a test. Your child might say: Science and/or social studies is boring! Who cares about what some old dude did a hundred years ago? Who cares about the laws of physics? What you can do: Unfortunately, too many teachers teach these fascinating subjects as isolated facts to memorize. Enrichment activities can be helpful here to help your child develop an interest in science or social studies. YouTube, blogs, and podcasts also have wonderfully engaging content in science and history that may spark an interest in these subjects for them.
9. Writing is hard and only some kids are good at it. Your child might say: I can’t write! I hate writing! What you can do: Writing is essential to communicating in our 21st century economy. Effective texts, tweets, marketing copy, websites, and emails all require clear, factual, and engaging writing. See if you can work with your child to choose topics to write about that are interesting to them. Sometimes teachers will allow more choice in writing assignments. For one particular assignment, my son’s teacher allowed him to draw a comic strip, with text, to illustrate math principles because he enjoyed that more than writing out a mini-essay for math. You never know unless you ask the teacher what flexibility they have with certain assignments.
10. Reading is boring and a waste of time. Your child might say: Reading is so boring. I’m a slow reader. What you can do: Fill your home with reading material that may interest them. Subscribe to kids’ magazines (e.g., National Geographic Kids, Sports Illustrated Kids, Muse). Go to the library and fill up a large bag with books, comics, graphic novels, picture books. There are so many wonderful, silly, fun kids’ books these days. If you can’t get to a library, many public libraries have e-books available to download to a device, making them easy to access. Require 30 minutes of “free choice” reading sometime before bed each day. Read aloud to your kid as much as possible. Do whatever you can to engage your child in reading, even if they are choosing books or topics that you might find juvenile or not educational.
11. Physical Education (P.E.) is for athletes and sports-minded kids only. Your child might say: I am not an athlete. I can’t compete with other kids. What you can do: If your child is discouraged in P.E., make an appointment to talk to the P.E. teacher and invite their input on ways to get your child more engaged in class activities. If the P.E. teacher is not receptive, find other movement activities that your child likes to do, and encourage them to engage in those regularly to build up strength, stamina, and flexibility. There are YouTube videos with exercises, but even more fun might be family dance sessions, biking together after dinner, or playing catch in the front yard.
12. Learned helplessness. Your child might say: I’m not good at doing X. I can’t learn how to do it. Or, they might say about schooling in general: I am not good at school. I’m not smart. What you can do: Learned helplessness is the result of repeated inability to experience mastery at something, combined with the belief that ability is fixed and can’t be improved. You can work on this in two ways, ideally with your child’s teacher, by (a) helping them to experience mastery in areas in which they struggle and (b) helping them adopt a growth mindset.
13. That they are unlikable as they are. Your child might say: I’m weird, or I’m different. No one likes me. To have friends, I must act differently than I am. What you can do: Sometimes kids can be mean, yet it is the ethical responsibility of teachers and school administrators to create a safe learning environment for all their students. If teachers aren’t doing this, then it might be time to head to the principal’s office. If principals aren’t doing this, it might be time to change schools. Kids need to feel safe in school. If they are victims of bullying, racism, discrimination, or other unjust behaviors, then you, as parents, have the right and responsibility to address this and to be their advocate.
What other hidden beliefs might kids be learning in school? I would love to hear from you.
*Fendler, L. (2011). Edwin & Phyllis. Studies in Philosophy and Education, 30(5), 463-469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-011-9247-6. Emphasis added.
