Reflection #8

There are 5 distinct Philosophies in Education, 2 falling under Teacher-Centered and 3 falling under Student –Centered, I was certain I fell under one particular philosophy exclusively. I learned that I strongly support the blending of several of the philosophies and would strongly urge others to do the same. I was pleased to find that I am more diverse and flexible and open-minded than I previously thought and that in having these philosophies on hand to serve as a guide or a tool, my teaching practices would benefit. My past experiences and personal beliefs played a roll in determining where I fell in the philosophies spectrum. I strongly feel that even though I may not feel inclined to use a certain philosophy, I should be open-minded and consider each classroom unique. The goal is to be a better teacher and even if I prefer a Philosophy over another, a particular class may benefit from a different one, and there is where one needs to analyze the classroom individually and choose accordingly. I support the philosophies of Essentialism because I was taught that way and the back-to-basics approach worked for me as a child. I feel that a core curriculum & traditional disciplines are vital and the very young need a blueprint or guide to help them along. I, on the other hand, being an open minded individual and an artist, prefer the Existentialist philosophies, because I feel that we aren’t all destined to be Mathematicians, Scientists, and English professors and therefore need to leave room for the self-exploration and the humanities that are prevalent in these philosophies. The Existentialism Philosophies are good to implement with certain students at certain points in their lives, especially those with inclinations towards the arts, music, and dramatic arts because of its' emphasis in the humanities. I need to mention my second choice, which is the Social Reconstructionism Philosophies, because I feel, that in small doses these can be very beneficial in K-8 as well, to promote early awareness of social ills. The beliefs are that the school is the ideal place to begin fixing social problems and I am particularly drawn to these philosophies because of my own personal experience of inaction and indifference during my K-12 experience. Except for the occasional paper drive, we lacked the knowledge and therefore genuine motivation and effort to improve society. In helping society and one’s community, students are helping and strengthening their own moral character. While reading, writing and arithmetic are inherent in both the Essentialism and the Perennialism Philosophies, the later stresses teaching values and character training, which I feel is important and very much lacking in today’s society overall. How does one choose one over the other and stick with it? I feel that one does not have to. If I were to sum it up, I would choose Existentialism above the rest and pepper the lessons with the core teachings, prevalent in Essentialism. The 3 R's seem destined to always be with us and we need to teach accordingly. Certain attributes in Perennialism are very attractive to me and I wish to instill in my students, some of the teachings of this Philosophy. Utilizing the very best each one has to offer.