Educational Philosophies

Perennialism puts a strong emphasis on the classics and blends them with educational curriculum, and uses these sources to develop a learner who is a skilled reasoned. Perennialism uses the classics to teach a base of core knowledge that it considers vital for a student to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Existentialism shares quite a few parallels with perennialism, most namely with the emphasis on a core of knowledge that needs to be taught to students. Existentialism is teacher centered and emphasizes mental discipline.

Behaviorism reads quite a bit like a psychology textbook, likely because of its roots in human psychology with Skinner. Behaviorism holds that people are a product of their environments, and to produce people that possess virtues that our cultures consider ideal we as teacher have to model that desired behavior.

Positivism is highly student centered and places a considerable emphasis on inquiry based learning where students experiment and uncover what is true through empirical or factual based evidence.

Progressivists prefer experience, or empirically based evidence to support learning and is very student centered. Progressivism supports programs that support the processes of thinking and reasoning to enhance learning. Flexibility and experimentation a valued virtues of and progressive curriculum.

Humanism asserts the innate goodness of people, but states that institutions corrupt this goodness. Humanist teachers believe in supporting a curriculum that supports individualism in students and a strong empathetic learning community.

Constructivism is closely linked with existentialism in its belief in a core of valuable truths, but differs on the means to reach these truths. In constructivism hands on, project based learning is favored by the instructor who takes a more passive role and helps students to build their own ideas and motivations.

Reconstructivism takes a focused perspective on education and channels into a system that strives for social improvement and reform. They believe that through a dynamic system the human condition can escape oppression and improve itself.

Personally as a philosophical humanist myself I immediately gravitated towards humanism as a teaching philosophy because of my fierce belief that we as humans are good and capable of wonderful things, and that if we work as an empathetic community that we can achieve so much more together and possess a much more rich education than we could otherwise.

Educational Issue: Authentic Curriculum

For me my largest take-away from the authentic curriculum presentation was the concept of making authentic curriculum and the standards align.  Previously my concern with authentic curriculum was that it would be so difficult to make something authentic, unique, and individual fit into the actual standards that it was an exercise of futility, though of course I would have never said authentic curriculum was futile, far from it really. The presentation conveyed the idea that as an instructor you can first make your content and curriculum as authentic and individualized as you need to make you students engaged and have the content sink in. From this point you make the standards fit your curriculum rather than let the standards dictate your instruction. A quality instructor should never let the standards create a contortion act out of their instruction, instead they should strive to make an act out of the standards to make their classroom as authentic as possible.

It seems like such a small change in teaching philosophy, but I tend to think it will result into a profoundly powerful paradigm shift in my teaching philosophy, but even beyond this change there was so much more going on with the presentation that was worth mentioning. Authentic curriculum appears to me as a considerably attractive form of instruction largely because of its emphasis on the pragmatic side of instruction where I as the teacher work mostly to build an excellent learning community and take a role as a facilitator of instruction allowing the class to become much more student centered and led.

Teaching Hope: Empowerment

With part 142 I really enjoyed the travel aspect where the students, confident in their ability in soccer in Miami move on to South Korea where they are met with the whole world for the first time. The students first see the greater context of the world through Soccer, they realize that they are a smaller part of a much larger organism, and this realization shakes their confidence at first. Eventually the student’s take ownership of their abilities and perform considerably well in their tournament, though they come just short of winning. The students all come back from the experience with a profound impact on their lives, and I really connected with the personal growth that came with having their own confidences shaken, but then reaffirmed.

Part 147 sounds essentially like every Hollywood-esque cheese dripping movie detailing the struggle and success of a disadvantaged student in school. First Pablo does poorly in school, he does not connect with his teachers or the material, but eventually he finds his teacher who believes in him and he transforms his life, not to discredit his own transformation which is considerably inspiring. Pablo takes an active role in the school and in class and distances himself from his old gang affiliated friends to the point where he eventually graduates. What made this section so powerful was the story of Frankie, which is sprinkled throughout the section, who provides a completely divergent story than Pablo’s, which serves to illustrate what a profound impact having  an exceptional teacher can have a students.

Four Teaching Philosophies

The idealist perspective of teaching stresses that reality exists within the mind and that reflection on these externalized ideas results in understanding. Idealist instructors consider students to be responsible and capable of directing their own educational trajectories, however teachers with this philosophy prefer the use of lecture, reflection, and discussion to develop understanding.

            Realism inhabits a much more physical plane of philosophy where the physical is considered reality, that which is quantifiable has intrinsic value. Realist instructors prefer the uncover causation, and instruction in practical skills, and their classrooms typically appear to be very teacher centered.

            Pragmatists exist on a very fluid spectrum of teaching philosophy, the central and often reoccurring theme states that ideas, and all other things are dynamic, they are always growing or changing. Pragmatic instructors are highly student centered and thrive in democratic situations where their students can take the reins of the classroom. Pragmatic teachers above all teach students to improve themselves, and how to live and thrive within a democratic society, and support inquiry based education as a means to uncover these truths,

            Existential instructors apply added emphasis on student responsibility, stating that self-discovery is the best means to achieving personal responsibility. Existentialism is highly tailored and individualized to students, so no two student’s curriculum may look the same, but this ties in directly with the strong sense that self-discovery results in true understanding.

            I am entirely certain of my own pragmatic personality, it essential manifests itself in every imaginable aspect of my life. I highly value inquiry as a tool for learning and I strongly believe that most problems have a contextually relevant solution that can be ascertained through inquiry. I am very open to change and new ideas and am willing to change my opinion based on new information. My purest belief in education is that it is a tool to be used to improve our students an prepare them for life in a democratic society where they can be active and flourish.  

Educational Issue: Discipline with Dignity

Concerning disciple I have always felt that taking a more pragmatic approach is almost always the best choice. Behavior is the result of so many different contributing factors, and to ignore these factors is to ignore the source of the behavior. If we as teacher’s take a blanket, one size fits all approach to discipline the behavior will never be corrected, at best covered up through detentions and suspensions, until the student accrues enough of these behavioral marks that they are eventual forced to leave school entirely. Now this student who needed the most help ultimately results in receiving the least. Rather than sweeping students away that teachers come in conflict with, we as teachers should strive to work through these conflicts, it is our job as teachers to teach our students, and this responsibility should not end at our chosen content. If it is that we help to teach our students to work collaboratively or with a community of peers than that too is our fundamental responsibility.

            It is important that before issuing any kind of punitive measures that we fully understand the implications of the behavior that we are trying to correct and how the student is affected. If teachers do not fully understand why a negative behavior has transpired then are they really in a position to fairly deliver judgment onto the student?

Teaching Hope: Rejuvenation

First, I selected section 118 because of my own experience that it reminded me of. Close to my house, in the adjacent town of Otisfield is the camp called Seeds of Peace. This camp has a significant amount of worldwide recognition for its goal, which is to cultivate relationships between young people who live in countries that have been embroiled in conflict with each other for a number of years. The camp runs for about a month for each part, where Palestinian and Israeli kids and teens will get to know each other and understand each other’s perspectives surrounding their conflicts with each other. This is then followed up by similar activities with young people from Iran and Iraq, Pakistan and India, and other countries that have historically been at odds with each other for some time. I have spent some time at the camp volunteering and helping out, generally making sure everything runs smoothly, but the kids themselves have had a pretty profound impact on me and my own perceptions of the regions they come from, which has been I feel an equally constructive experience for me as it is for them.

Secondly, I picked part 120 because this one represented a significant shift in the tone of the book. In this section the student described mostly takes it upon themselves to make a positive change in their own life, albeit at a small amount of prodding from their teacher. The section was, like the chapter is titled, was rejuvenation, because I felt at time while reading teaching hope that all my students will be extraordinarily difficult to teach, uninterested, or suffering from some tremendous levels of distress. I purely chose this part because it simply reminded me that there are so many joys in teaching.

Story of School Part 4

As The Story of School: Part Four opens it begins by revealing that at this time 85% percent of students have graduated from high school since 1980. Though as the documentary continues it reveals the open letter of A Nation at Risk, which would fundamentally alter the landscape of public education for the years to come. Despite raising achievement scores the letter asserts that public schooling is failing miserably, and calls for higher standards, more credits, and more homework as a requirement for graduation. With Nation’s claims Reagan’s assertion that public education represents a dangerous uncompetitive monopoly begins to gain a great deal of momentum, causing schools to suddenly need a standard of achievement to compare schools to, which in itself is the advent of standardized teaching.

            With Standardized teaching on the scene public schools now need to become profitable and competitive, otherwise they risk losing their funding or being fundamentally reorganized. Amidst increasing pressure to perform well on standardized tests public schools begin to take new approaches to education. The lowest performing schools with the least to lose are the first to develop alternative classrooms within the traditional school, which see marked results.

            As alternative education begins to show promise numerous other magnet and charter schools appear across the country to capitalize on the new education craze. Several public schools are even reorganized by the private firm Education Advocates Inc. EAI asserts that it can improve educational outcomes and remain profitable, to do this EAI replaces special education instructors with hourly interns, slashes their SED programs, and completely cuts art and music from the curriculum. Despite all of their claims however students in these schools do not perform and better and EAI steps in somewhat ungracefully under accusations of sending profits back to its headquarters at the expense of quality education.

Nation at Risk

The first time I read over the Nation at Risk peace I found it unnecessarily hostile. I was considerably relieved when after I read the follow-up that reaffirmed my feelings. The indicators for risk to me, represented several risks themselves. From the start of this section success in school was immediately equated to an outdated one size fits all standard for achievement. Several of the bulleted points cited sinking standardized test scores as an impetus for the report’s ostensible crusade against educators.

The entirety of the report’s vitriol was pointedly directed at teachers. Nowhere are funds, budget cuts, parental involvement, anything resembling the subjective included. The Report even cites the post Sputnik educational climate as standardized testing ideal, but does not recognize the staggering amount of dollars redirected to public education as a result. Now that those dollars have trickled away suddenly the educators are to blame.

The follow up report practically dismisses the earlier report for being too pointed and hostile, and jaded by a Cold War perspective, claiming that the law every educator loves to hate, No Child Left Behind was the ultimate result. Likely the only good that came from the report was that it put a stop to talks about privatizing schools in America, the only foreseeable outcome of that of course being even greater emphasis placed on high-stakes standardized testing.

Story of School Part 1

While developing a public education seemed like an earnest and well-meaning step forward many of the intentions were built with inequity in mind. Even today Jefferson, who is remembered as a strong proponent to free public education had a much more aristocratic vision for public education. Jefferson firmly believed in a “teach the best shoot the rest” approach to public education stating that public education was in his mind designed to “rake the geniuses from the refuse”. In Jefferson’s vision of public education students could only benefit from a basic education over three years. In his mind this would be enough time to identify students who were suited to schooling, who would later attend university through tax dollars. Jefferson believed that these geniuses, pick specially from the refuse were to be the next aristocracy to govern the United States, and pushed this proposal through congress several times. However even these designs were considered too progressive and were struck down each time.

            The debate concerning religion in public schools was came at a considerable surprise, I knew that the bible was a common teaching tool in early American schools, so I never expected there would have been any kind of drive to make public education secular. However the treatment that The Story of School describes that was inflicted on Catholic and Irish students the push for secular or publically funded Catholic schools suddenly makes much more sense.

TH: Disillusionment

It may seem a little bit suspicious that I picked the first two entries, but I swear I read the whole thing!

Anyway, now that that is out of the way, I picked the very first entry because the way the teacher closed the section really resonated with me, as the whole point of school. To build a more civil society. This teacher was not content just to let KC drift through class just because his goals did not mean that he wanted to go to college himself, and that this did not mean that he could not be a productive, civil, and successful member of the country. However the teacher’s willingness to help KC improve himself and challenge himself in school despite the fact that he did not “need” to and that other teachers felt that they did not either, this teacher performed a profound service to KC when others though he would not have been worth the effort, or not up the challenge.

The second entry I actually chose for a single phrase at the center of the passage, where one of the student’s asks when they need to learn these new word and that they think they will never need them or that they will not be relevant to them, with the teacher responding “Then we need to change that.” The confidence was very intriguing and encouraging. Though as the section continues her students become frustrated with the confusing nature of the tests they have to take. Honestly I was considerably surprised by the number of high stakes tests the teacher had described that their students had to take, from her account it seemed as if these types of tests were a regular fixture of the class and occurred every few short weeks.