Responsibility

Learning teacher/student relationships

Learning to work with others effectively

Leadership

Thinking independently about material

Authority figures represent positive role models

School can be fun

Using movies to reach students

Implementing free time into class planning

In observing middle school classes, I had more experience in what to look for while observing. Today I spent several hours with middle school students that made me aware that school should be fun for everyone. While looking particularly for hidden curriculum, I have chosen to remark on responsibility, leadership skills, and the fact that school can be fun. This all became clear to me as I learned the curriculum being taught by the teacher, although not directly as if they were the lesson plan.

The first thing I noticed being taught through a hidden curriculum was individual responsibility. I witnessed students learning teacher/students relationships as well as how to work effectively in groups. These essential skills will assist in the students’ further development. Several times while observing Mr. Othoson’s classroom, I noticed that the students all were raising their hands to answer a question. This was encouraged as the only form of communicating, and those that blurted out answers were ignored until they raised their hand. This encouragement will establish a clear classroom expectation as classrooms get larger and more difficult in subject matter. When these students arrive at high school, they will be better equipped to handle the demands of more rules and tighter deadlines. I also observed a history class before Mr. Othoson and the teacher was also taking advantage of cooperative group exercises. This technique was structured by the teacher so there was a weak and a strong skilled member in each group and everyone was included. After allowing the students to begin, the rest of the class period seemed to run itself as the project progressed on. Students worked with each other to solve problems and share ideas and the project was an overall success. This was another efficient example of how a good moderator can produce progress in a group environment while students also learn responsibility in their classroom.

I also looked closely at the material the students were learning to see that they were also learning leadership skills. These young middle school students are thinking independently about material while understanding that the teacher’s position reflects success in following the rules. As well as working in a group, homework assignments that were given were reviewed in class each morning to give the students a chance to review material and clarify questions. The teacher let the students read a question and answer it verbally among the class to encourage leadership skills in speech. Mr. Othoson also asked students to review questions to get an introduction into the material allowing for each student to think independently about the material before progressing. Something I noticed more clearly in this classroom setting was that the teacher reflects something totally different to these aged students, as compared to the high school students I previously surveyed. The teacher seems to be a role model for what it means to follow the rules and be successful. By following his expectations the students are developing the maturity that they will need to conquer education and employment in the future. It was so clear that the teacher was an authority figure when the teacher briefly stepped out of the room, and more than half of the students began to disobey the previously enforced rules.

Finally what I learned in middle school observation was something that I had almost forgotten since I have been in college, school can be fun! Using movies and technology in lesson plans and planning a little free time after class work can make time in your class not so “schooly.” As I sat in Mr. Othoson’s 8^th grade class, I learned a lot about the Alamo. Not just because several periods were learning about the Alamo that day, but because I got to watch the same movie for the entire periods. This certainly was quite a break from listening to a lecture and sitting in my corner while the students worked in groups! Not to mention the kids all seemed to enjoy watching the film as much as I did myself. This taught me yet another valuable hidden curriculum lessons can be fun if you take advantage of technology. Something I noticed in the other teachers class also had me voting yes for FSUS. The teacher was starting a chess club before class that was open to all the students. This got children out of the cold and into groups that played strategic thinking games before going to class to learn from books. Because the teacher was the sponsor of the club, he seemed much more laid back and allowed the students to have a few minutes of free time after the lesson plan had concluded. This little extra time is great for the students to wind down after the class and socialize.

In conclusion, while school can be a lot of demanding hours of sitting in a chair listening to a teacher that wont let you do whatever you want to do, school can also be a time for fun and learning. By properly implementing the use of technology, teachers can captivate audiences of all ages with almost any subject while stimulating the students to think independently about the material. Through hidden curriculum students learn responsibility and leadership that will help them develop into productive workers and learners.