One of our teachers recently took a course where participants were asked to identify the "hidden curriculum" in their schools. Hidden curriculum was defined as being an implicit curriculum. Rather than coming about by design,
it represents behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge that are communicated without conscious intent - it is an accumulation of values communicated indirectly, through actions and words, that are part of everyday life in a
community. Since it is impossible to observe what is hidden, it is necessary to infer the attributes of a specific hidden curriculum. The teacher asked our students to consider the question with him, and to write their analysis.

The following was written by a seventh grader in her sixth year at Sparhawk School. We think it is such a lovely window into the essence of Sparhawk School that we decided to share it with you here.

Sparhawk’s Hidden Curriculum
By Angela Hasler

I believe that Sparhawk has one hidden curriculum that flows through all the classes, but every teacher changes or adds to it slightly depending on their style of teaching, who they are, and what we’re studying that year. It’s almost as if all the teachers were baking a cake, but every one added their own secret ingredient.

Sparhawk’s quote, “a school for individuals,” says something very obvious about Sparhawk; at this school, you can be yourself, an individual. If you really think about this slogan and compare it to what we do in the classroom, those words can go much deeper than what the people at Sparhawk are like. In all our classes, the work is individualized, if the work is too hard, or too easy, we can change that by saying something. If we’re having a lot of trouble in a certain area, or if we’re really good at something, our teachers help us to improve in those areas. Even though all of our classes are in a group, we’re taught as individuals, not as a whole mass of kids who are just sitting there. In our life, if we become just a copy of what everyone else is, the individualism in us would be diminished.

At Sparhawk, teachers often say that it is up to you to learn. I never really realized how true that is. You can just sit and listen to a mini-lesson, not taking in and thinking about a word said, or you can pay attentive attention and learn a great deal. A lot of things in life are like that; it’s your decision as to who you want to be, what you want to know and how much you want to get out of an experience. You can just daydream away all your classes, missing all opportunities to improve what you know, or you can learn a great deal by asking questions, listening and searching for answers.

A lot of what we do at school has to do with responsibility. When we plan our end-of-the-year-trip, it’s our responsibility to do the organizing and planning. If we don’t work hard enough and plan well, it’s our own fault if we don’t go. When we have a problem with schoolwork, it’s our responsibility to fix it, although teachers are always available to support us. If we are given free work time, its our responsibility to make the most of it. We are responsible for what we learn, or don’t. As we grow up, we’ll have a lot to be accountable for. It might be as minor as our chores or as large as piloting a plane. We can’t just give away our responsibilities; they are ours to deal with.

I think that part of the hidden curriculum at Sparhawk is to teach us that our whole lives are basically up to us, and the way it turns out depends on the quality of the ingredients we add. Our responsibilities, our decisions, who we are, the extent of our knowledge—all that and more are up to us. Sparhawk, whether consciously or subconsciously, helps us get ready for all that. Enrichments are there to “enrich” our time at Sparhawk and to give us tools which might make our lives more fun. It’s like a fair: we pass by colorful booths and noisy rides, looming stands and crowded buildings, but it is our choice whether or not to participate in them.