Co-curricular

I came across a new term today: co-curricular, well new to me. Now as my husband will attest, I make up words all the time. It is part humor, part just how I think and partly that I am just the world’s worst speller. So when I first read this term, I immediately thought, oh my goodness, this is it! This is how we can talk about the co-created curriculum that we will feature at the Summa Academy. Other people are talking about how to birth curriculum in relationship with the student, the teacher and the family--co-curriculum –how wonderful and what a perfect way to express the idea.

Anyone who knows me will also tell you that I am a bit of an optimist, and often give people a little more credit than they are often due (at times). Well unfortunately this was one of those times. Imagine my disappointment when I Googled [why does spell check not recognize this as a word yet, sheesh] the term and found out that it is used commonly to mean “complementing but not part of the regular curriculum.” Blah. Not interesting. When I was a kid we called these electives. Why invent a new term when that one did just fine?

Okay, get over the disappointment and put my thinking cap on… I need a new word that represents the idea that curriculum can and should be co-created by the student, the teacher and the parent, in relationship to the student’s natural talents, stage of development, areas of need and individual passions. I know we are not the first to think of this, and it is a brilliant concept, so let’s create a new word so that we can all find one another (hello # on twitter) and bring this great concept forward. The keys seem to be curriculum, create and relationship. How about Creacurrucularship? Too long. Co-curricularship, I’m liking that one. Or relacreaculum. What do you think?