Professor Jack Kirkland, at a South African conference, looks at the heart of teaching — whether in the formal classroom or in the life space

The teacher teaches the curriculum ... the teacher is the curriculum

The formal classroom teacher is the one who creates the environment for learning, generates and transmits inspiration, establishes the focus and content of study, and portrays the attitude that the learner is valued. The teacher enhances student enthusiasm, excitement, and engagement, which in turn maximizes the learner's concentration, comprehension and ability to perform. All of this is accomplished through affect, kinaesthetics, and the showing of warm feelings — all on non verbal levels. This determines the potency of motivation, it is what propels the inner-strengths of youth to achieve confidence and competence through which they learn the courage to gain more and more of the same in cyclical order and performance.

In child and youth care the teacher may be the worker, therapist, the recreationist, the gardener, cook — or any number of people who come into contact with the youngsters in a helping manner. In working with youth the curriculum may be "arts and crafts," story-telling, games, athletics, work assignments — or any host of other activities. The goal is always growth and development, expanding youths' abilities to see the needs and rights of others, to show encouragement, compassion, and remorse and to reflect appropriate warranted emotions — to stretch youth within and beyond self so that growth reaches toward maturation, and so the individual thinks of responsibilities of citizenship, a vocational and professional career, and parenthood. 

Encouraging youth to think, assess, evaluate self in relationship with others, and seek new opportunities for learning — to enjoy self and life — are the subtle aspects of this process. The on going replication of this process causes this curriculum to be a lifetime occupation. Such an effective curriculum never ends — it operates both day and night and even works as youth take to bed questions and considerations to ponder on their pillows.

• To successfully gain a sense of security and pleasure within intimate relationships (home and immediate environment)

• To successfully learn skills which have universal application for social exchange (discharging frustration in a healthy predictable manner and good interpersonal social skills)

• To have the capability of moving out into broader society as an emancipated individual, comfortable in one’s own identity and ability.

Wherever an individual is on this continuum determines the emphasis and professional use of the teacher, whether it is instruction and support, or whether it is support and/or rehabilitation. In either situation or combinations thereof, the teacher/worker is the curriculum. What is called out by youth in their attitudes and behavior in such situations can be suggestions, recommendations or corrections and interventions, depending on youth’s need or deprivation. To be responsive the teacher/worker must be able to make an assessment of need and apply the required curriculum. Where the formal classroom teacher and the child care worker differ on approach is in the utilization of curriculum. For the classroom teacher curriculum is static, routine, and repetitious, while for the child care workers curriculum is often an issue of sorting out and sorting through corrosive emotions and feelings to get to the underlying issues which may prevent positive social functioning and learning. 

Both use repetitive patterns for learning, are creative and dynamic in their style, and both build on strengths.

Kirkland, J. (1995) The teacher teaches the curriculum ... the teacher is the curriculum, in Child and Youth Care: Reconstruction and Development for Peace. Cape Town: National Association of Child Care Workers