Chapter 5, Liberating the Curriculum Summary and Analysis

Ayers thought a lot about curriculum in his early days as a teacher. It seemed as though everything of relevance was contained within the curriculum. He spent a lot of time looking for good texts. Ayers then began to scrutinize texts but later realized his journey was flawed. For one thing, the teacher's role in curriculum is too circumscribed. Students also have trouble finding a unique place in curriculum as well.

Curriculum is not a "thing" people need and need to know. It is something communicated to students by means of a teacher. Curriculum should be conceived of as everything that goes on a school, which gives it a more dynamic aspect. Responses to students must be flexible and tailored to their individual needs. This approach makes classrooms complicated but fascinating as well. That said...