A Letter to a First Year K-8 Classroom Teacher

The author writes a reflective letter to Rey, her earlier self as a first-year classroom teacher, exploring how her understanding of curriculum has evolved. In a warm and conversational tone, she revisits the basic notion of curriculum before introducing the ideas of American scholar Madeleine R. Grumet and her expansive view of curriculum. Through this dialogue, she explores whether broadening the concept of curriculum makes teaching clearer or more complex, while also acknowledging insights from non-Western traditions. This essay invites beginning teachers to consider a more expansive, relational approach to curriculum, emphasizing how theory and practice intertwine in the everyday work of teaching.