Chapter Six:
1. In what ways can you think of to describe schools as teaching more than academic curriculum? In what ways are schools a social institution? What do you think this means in terms of students? Teachers? Parent/guardians? Administrators?
All schools have a curriculum they are supposed to follow but teachers are supposed to also teach things not on the curriculum. this is also known as the hidden curriculum. For example, a teacher could be teaching her students about explores and while she is teaching them what is on the curriculum she is also teaching them about Geography, which is not on the curriculum. Teachers also teach students responsibility and respect which is also considered to be on the hidden curriculum. Schools are a social institution in and of itself. Teachers have to learn to treat and teach all students equally, regardless of their social circumstance. Students think of school as a social institution and have social classes within each other.
2. Think back to you high school experience when you were a student. Can you identify the "regularities of schooling" that you took for granted and never questioned?
The main thing that comes to mind is the Advance placement (as given in the book) courses. Students do not really understand how useful Advance Placement is until it's too late. We never really question why we have it in high schools or how useful it could be in the future. We just know it's there.
