Role of the Teacher
According to the Bank Street approach, “We think of curriculum not as a series of recipes for activities, but rather as the opportunities for experience you offer children that help them deepen their understanding of the world. The curriculum is the sum of those opportunities and it is created through a dynamic process of planning and decision making” (Mitchell & David, 1992, p. 121). Teachers plan activities and choose materials to match children’s abilities and interests (Figure 2.5); arrange opportunities for direct interaction with the physical and social world; and help children to represent their questions and ideas through writing, speaking, and visual representation. Finally, teachers use the information they have gleaned to drive future planning. Bank Street gave birth to the concept of a theme-based, inquiry-oriented curriculum.