My Teaching Philosophies

My Teaching Philosophies

Is there an educational philosophy that can reach all students? After reading and studying the four philosophies of education: perennialism, essentialism, progressivism, and social reconstruction; I do not believe one specific philosophy will meet the needs and reach every student. I think each one has positive influences on how teachers can help students learn and grow; but combining philosophies is the key to helping children reach their full potential. The philosophies I embrace most are progressivism and essentialism. Progressivism is an educational philosophy emphasizing real-world problem solving and individual development (Kauchak & Eggen, 2011). I feel very passionate about striving to help develop my students physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally. Essentialism is an educational philosophy suggesting that critical knowledge and skills exist that all people should possess (Kauchak & Eggen, 2011). I also feel strongly about focusing on essential knowledge and skills and assessing my students regularly and providing them and their parents with feedback.

I am quite sure putting these philosophies into practice will be more difficult than expected. Students and their reactions to questions and/or class involvement can be very intimidating at times. Having the knowledge of how you want to educate and what philosophy or philosophies you are going to use can help when students make statements like "I didn't have my hand raised." "I don't know." or "Why do we have to learn this stuff?" Many times, students expect the teacher to describe every detail in an assignment rather than getting involved in the lesson and developing critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Because my philosophies of education are progressivism and essentialism, I would respond to the student who objected to me calling on him or her because they did not have their hand raised in this way; "Yes, I realize you did not have your hand raised, but you are always well prepared and I think you have a lot to offer the class. What do you think about...?" This response gives the student encouragement to participate. It sets a foundation for intellectual stimulation by letting the student know that I know he or she is always prepared for lessons whether it is by note taking or good grades on assessments. It leads to social support, letting he or she know that I feel their participation can benefit the class and provides emotional reinforcement, letting the student know I am interested in his or her involvement. Encouraging the student to answer the question also ensures that he or she is retaining the basic information required of the subject.

Answering a student who claims not to know the answer can be challenging. Sometimes a child does not always wrap their head around the question in order to answer it in the correct manner. My philosophical belief is