Philosophy of education provides a framework for thinking about educational issues and also can guide our actions as a teacher. The four philosophies are perennialism, progressivism, essentialism, and social reconstructionism. The knowledge gained about the philosophy of education helped me to develop a certain framework that I can use in my classroom. It helped me answer questions like ‘What do I teach my students?’ and ‘How do they study?’. I feel personally connected to each of the four philosophies, each in a different way. I think I feel this way because I have always taken my education into consideration and have tried my best to get the most out of the education system. I want to encourage others that there are many things to learn and you can thrive in the education system if you try to.
Perennialism, in my words, has passed the test of time and the content should be taught constantly by schools. Perennial flowers come back again each year without having to plant a new flower. Perennialism in schools is the same way. Each year the teachers prepare to teach the same material as the year before because it was effective, and the students understand it well and can use it in their future. I think most material being taught it schools should be this way. I don’t think education systems should necessarily teach material that will not stick with the students throughout their lives. I can personally connect to the perennialism philosophy through my attendance at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School. Each year the teachers would reflect through the Bible and teach about concepts we should know and explain why they should be meaningful to the students. They challenged us to think deeply, analytically, flexibly, and imaginatively about the stories in the Bible and show how they can pertain to our lives today. Each year the teachers would use the same outlines and methods to get the material across to the students because it was working effectively, and it was educational material that has passed the test of time.
Progressivism, in my words, is and educational philosophy that helps you with real world problem solving and personal development. As a teacher this is the philosophy, I want to base my teaching around. I do not like listening to lectures and would have rather preferred group discussions where you could voice your opinion. I want to watch my students develop in my classroom and I would much rather help them individually as they search for their meaning in the real world. I wish my teachers would have cared enough to help their students with real world problem solving rather than solving a geometry theorem. I can connect to the philosophy of progressivism as my best teacher truly cared about me individually and as a student and did much more than just lecture to my class. I had her for science and she helped the class really develop how the world works. My class had a dance and song for the water cycle, we made a cloud in the classroom, and could tell you every type of cloud in the sky. I don’t think I would have got anything out of that class if she wouldn’t have taught us in that way that each of us could understand. I still remember everything about that fourth-grade science class, and I can use the material I learned in the real world today.
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Essentialism, in my words, is an educational philosophy that addresses skills needed to function in today’s society. Essentialism focuses on the 21st century knowledge and skills that are used in today’s world to get each student college and career ready. Educational leaders have established academic learning standards to make sure students are learning the proper knowledge that many leaders believe all students in our country should possess. Each teacher is given a set of standards that they are supposed to use as a guideline for their students learning. As a student, I had teachers that undermined their students by believing they had to know all of the ‘basic skills’ to pass their course when they should have already mastered these things. It should already be in the student’s body of knowledge. I feel that once I am a certified teacher, I will be able to relate to essentialism in a different way, such as the teacher’s perspective. I can connect to essentialism as I will need to use my knowledge of teaching to pass state tests to become a teacher. Important knowledge exists that all professionals should master and understand.
Social reconstructionism, in my words, is and educational philosophy that should address social problems within the society. Social reconstructionism is also related to social justice which emphasizes human rights, fairness, and equality. As a teacher I want my students to reason how they will be an impact in the future and how they can change the society of which they live in. I want them to be a model of equality in their society. I want to be fair to all of my students and show them that, that is a very important thing in life. We need to know how to address people within our society and give everyone a fair and equal chance. I want to lead my students in the right direction and let them follow their moral compass. I want them to make their own decisions and do what they think is right. I can connect with social reconstructionism, as I had many teachers that will not tell you the answer or will not give you the advice you are asking them for. They let you figure it out and reason through your options to see if you know how to deal with the problem. I didn’t appreciate it at the time but now that I realize what they were doing I get it. Teachers are just wanting to contribute to the creation of a just society.
Overall, I want my teaching career to be filled with 10% perennialism, 50% progressivism, 15% essentialism, and 25% social reconstructionism.
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