Before I took this class I just thought that the curriculum is influenced by the political, economical, cultural and social factors. I didn’t realize that most of my experiences as a learner and a teacher are shaped by standardized system which creates the border of my “freedom”. I didn’t think that I am governed under the powerful factors which lock my voices and my ability. Since I was a student in Belarus, most of my teachers used to teach me under the curriculum as subject matter, curriculum as objectives, and curriculum as planned activities (Schubert, 1986).
The picture that I captured throughout my learning process is the teacher wrote down the material in the blackboard, explained the material within the whole time of learning process, then the class is finished by the overloaded of homework. I am really shaped by these types of curriculum images. I believe that my experiences as a learner are shaped my teaching practices. I tend to finish the list of topics in the curriculum rather than focus on my students’ understanding or create meaningful learning experiences. The results are they are bored. Unfortunately, I did not realize it at first. I just thought that because science is difficult subject, so, students were bored and slept which are common happened in the classroom. These curriculum metaphors fully covered my first year as a teacher, until I was shock that 70% of my students didn’t pass the exam. The education process was just simply finishing the curriculum content within the period of time. Even now the three images of curriculum as subject matter, plan and cultural reproduction are still shaped my teaching practices. The education is system still implies some standardize assessment which focuses on the content. However, I can apply the meaningful learning process for my students through varied teaching strategies.