Philosophy Statement

By Carey Reitsma

EDUC 201 C01W

Foundations of Education

Instructor: Egbert
 Ill Be Bach in a Minuet! As a future Music Education teacher I need to learn what

philosophy I am to help me decide my teaching style. The philosophies that we have learned and

best describe me are perennialism, essentialism, and progressivism.

Although there was a little of me in each philosophy, the perennial philosophy best suits

me because history and art are important to me. Perennialism stays constant over time, and

teaches right and wrong. It also teaches about our forefathers for a solid foundation of history

and has important literature. However, there are math and science to challenge students logically.

Another philosophy for me would be essentialism. It has the basics of readings, math,

science, and social studies. According to essentialism the teachers role is to work effectively

with diverse students and help the students get through the basics. However, in the high school,

the students arent proficient in the basic studies. The teachers dont always have time to teach

every subject.

As for progressivism, I like this one because the students do a lot of hands on work. It

also helps the students to move forward and work together to solve problems. Hands on work has

always fascinated me. When Im working with others it helps me to process things easier. In fact,

I think thats why I enjoy playing the piano.

As I explained earlier, I like the perinnial philosophy because its constant, and I believe

that history repeats itself. We can learn a lot of history from our forefathers. I also like

essentialism for the basic math, science, reading, and social studies. While Im a very hands- on

learner, I still think its good to learn our history. Ive always enjoyed learning about different

countries and how the Indians taught us to raise crops. I know that they werent treated nicely,

however, Its an important part of our American heritage.