LESSON 2: THE TEACHER AS A CURRICULARIST

A teacher performs several roles inside the classroom. Being a curriculum specialist and
expert in crafting the curriculum, a teacher can be labeled as curricularist. The role of a teacher in the
classroom is not only a facilitator of learning, a counselor, or an evaluator. It seems that some of us
think that these roles are done by the teacher everyday but the role of a teacher does not end being
like that; there is a broader and more complex role they are doing everyday and that is being a
curricularist.
A teacher handles a curriculum which is being followed to make the learning process more
effective, and this curriculum is done in the classroom. To be a teacher is to be curricularist, but there
are many ways in perceiving our roles as a curricularist, it will be our choice. The important is we
have to be a responsible teacher that offers learners effective and more interactive learning
environment.

KEY IDEAS

The teacher as curricularist refers to the role perform by a teacher in the development of the
curriculum in the classrooms and schools.
Curricularist is a professional who is a curriculum specialist. A person who is involved in
curriculum knowing, writing, planning, implementing, evaluating, innovating, and initiating.
Being a curricularist require rigor and giving utmost importance and significance to all details.
Planning, evaluating, innovating, and patience are some of the
thingsthatacurricularistshouldhaveinordertoprovidethebestkindofeducation as possible.

LEARNING COMPETENCIES

 Enhance understanding of the role of the teacher as a curricularist in the classroom and
school.

EXCITE
_ _ _

What specific roles do teachers play as a curricularist? Should they do these roles? This lesson will
bring all of you to an enhanced understanding and realization of the multifaceted roles of the teacher which
relate to the curriculum. Let us find out.
Look at the words inside the box. Read each one of them. Which one describes the teacher as a
curricularist? Circle the word.

Planning Copying Recommending Facilitating Rewarding

Broadening Innovating Evaluating Showing Growing

 Are you aware that the teacher’s role in school is very complex? Teachers do a series of interrelated
actions about curriculum, instruction, assessment, evaluations, teaching and learning. A classroom teacher is
involved with curriculum continuously all day. But very seldom has a teacher been described as curricularist.
Curricularist in the past, are referred only to those who developed curriculum theories. According to
the study conducted by SandraHayes(1991),the most influential curricularist in America include John
Dewey, Ralph Tyler, Hilda Taba and Franklin Bobbit. You will learn more of them in the later part of
themodule.

EXPLORE
In this lesson ,we will start using the word curricularist to describe a professionalwhois a curriculum
specialist(Hayes,1991:Ornstein&Hunkins,2004;Hewitt,2006).A person who is involved in curriculum
knowing, writing, planning, implementing, evaluating, innovating and initiating may be designated as
curricularist. A teacher’s role is broader and inclusive of other functions and so a teacher is a curricularist.
So what does a Teacher do to deserve the label curricularist? Let us look at the different role of the
teacher in the classroom and in the school. The classroom is the first place of curricular engagement. The first
school experience sets the tone to understand the meaning of schooling through the interactions of learners
and teachers that will lead to learning. Hence, curriculum is the heart of schooling.

Let us describe the teacher as a curricularist. (“KIWI – PIE”)

The TEACHER as a curricularist…….

1. Knows the Curriculum(KNOWER)

Learning begins with knowing. The teacher as learner starts with knowing about the
curriculum, the subject matter or the content. As a teacher, one has to master what are included in
the curriculum. It is acquiring academic knowledge both formal or informal. It is the mastery of
the subject matter.

2. Initiates the Curriculum(INITIATOR)

In cases where the curriculum is recommended to the schools from DepEd, CHED,
TESDA, UNESCO,UNICEF or the educational agencies for improvement of quality education,
the teacher is obliged to implement. Implementation of the new curriculum requires the open
mindedness of the teacher, and the full belief that the curriculum will enhance learning. There will
be many constraints and difficulties in doing things first or leading, however, a transformative
teacher will never hesitate to try something novel and relevant.

3. Writes the Curriculum(WRITER)

A classroom teacher takes record of knowledge concepts, subject matter or content. These
need to be written or preserved. The teacher writes books, modules, laboratory manuals,
instructional guides, and reference materials in paper or electronic media as a curriculum writer or
reviewer.
 4. Innovates the Curriculum(INNOVATOR)

Creativity and innovation are hallmarks of an excellent teacher. A curriculum is always

dynamic hence it keeps on changing. From the content, strategies, ways of doing, blocks of time,
ways of evaluating, kinds of students and skills of teachers, one cannot find a single eternal
curriculum that would perpetually fit. A good teacher, therefore, innovates the curriculum and
thus becomes a curriculum innovator.

5. Plans the Curriculum(PLANNER)

A good curriculum has to be planned. It is the role of the teacher to make yearly, monthly,
or daily plan of the curriculum. This will serve as a guide in the implementation of the curriculum.
The teacher takes into consideration several factors in planning a curriculum. These factors
include the learners, the support materials, time, subject mater or content, the desired outcomes,
the context of the learners among others. By doing this, the teacher becomes a curriculum planner.

6. Implements the Curriculum(IMPLEMENTOR)

The curriculum that remains recommended or written will never serve its purpose.
Somebody has to implement it. As mentioned previously, at the heart of
schoolingisthecurriculum.Itisthisrolewheretheteacherbecomesthecurriculum implementor. An
implementor gives life to the curriculum plan. The teacher is at the height of an engagement with
the learners, with support materials in order to achieve the desired outcomes. It is where teaching,
guiding, facilitating skills of the teacher is expected to the highest level. It is here where teaching
as a science and as an art will be observed. It is here, where all the elements of the curriculum will
come into play. The success of the recommended, well written and planned curriculum depends
on the implementation.

7. Evaluates the Curriculum(EVALUATOR)

How can one determine if the desired learning outcomes have been achieved? Is the
curriculum working? Does it bring the desired results? What do outcomes reveal? Are the learners
achieving? Are there some practices that should be modified? Should the curriculum be modified,
terminated or continued? These are some few questions that need the help of a curriculum
evaluator. That person is the teacher.

Thesevendifferentrolesarethosewhicharesponsibleteacherdoesintheclassroom everyday! Doing these

multi-faceted work qualifies a teacher to be a curricularist.

To be a teacher is to be a curricularist even if a teacher may not equal the likes of John Dewey, Ralph
Tyler, Hilda Taba, or Franklin Bobbit. As a curicularist a teacher will be knowing, writing, implementing,
innovating, initiating and evaluating the curriculum in the
schoolandclassroomsjustliketherolemodelsandadvocatesincurriculumandcurriculum development who have
shown theway.