Emily Werner, April 9, 2019

Philosophy of Education Paper

I believe that education should focus on preparing and developing the whole and

unique child as opposed to relying on a somewhat antiquated canon of work the way

perennialism does. On the other hand, I do believe that some structure should exist, and that

the teacher should have a distinct and important role in how the classroom functions. For this

reason, I am not completely won over by existentialism. My educational philosophy is most

closely aligned with progressivism. This philosophy teaches students to question the world

around them and not focus on rote memorization of facts. It encourages a curriculum that

involves instruction on important social and cultural issues. It also encourages a spirit of

democracy and a desire for a diverse student body (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016).

That being said, I do believe that there should be a sense of basic continuity across

the education of kids in at least each country. This means that I do agree with certain ideas of

essentialism and perennialism in that I believe in the importance of understanding the core

ideas that unite human knowledge and bind us together. However, I want my students to be

knowledgeable and socially active in the modern world, and I want to give them the freedom

to express themselves to choose paths that interest them. The most appealing part about

progressivism for me is that it bridges this gap. The student’s specific interests and needs are

taken into account alongside structure, expectations, and unity within the classroom. This

leads to the entire class learning from one student’s interests.

The strongest advocate of this philosophy was John Dewey. In 1896, he founded the

Laboratory School while working at the University of Chicago. This school was one of the

earliest experiments in the progressive education movement. It later became one of the most
famous progressive schools in existence. Although Dewey only ran the school for a short

while, he changed the path of education forever (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016).

Dewey faced massive resistance against his ideas. He fought for his controversial beliefs

through the Red Scare and against Senator Joseph McCarthy who led the infamous attack

against communist ideas in America during the early 1950s. A core component of

progressivism calls on the students to question the world around them. This caused the

deeply conservative supporters of McCarthy to blame progressivism for the loss of traditional

values and the spread of un-American beliefs (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016). In reality, Dewey

actually emphasized traditionally American values, such as democracy and practical life-

skills, in his classrooms (PBS, n.d.).

I support progressivism because while school has always come easily and been

interesting to me, it is not that way for many people. I am blessed to have the specific type of

mind that thrives in the current educational system. I know that it is not anything I did or did

not do, because I didn’t choose how I was born. I was always confused growing up because

my friends who were smarter than me would complain about school or not do as well as I

did. Eventually I began to realize that they had the skills, they were simply lacking an

interest. Then I began to notice my other peers and wonder what possibilities they could

explore if school captured their interest and imagination. I want to provide a classroom that

allows students to discover, examine, and cultivate personal interests because I believe that is

the path to educational success.

The Purpose of Education

Schools should be able to expect students to be able to discover and develop their own

opinion or belief, defend it, and also adapt or dismiss it based on listening attentively to other
opinions, facts, and life experiences. At its core, this is what education truly is. In a

traditional setting with limited resources and an emphasis on uncomplicated memorization,

most students did not have a lot of hands-on experience with the subjects that they learn in

school. They were forced to form beliefs based on other people’s discoveries which does not

allow for a lasting or emotionally-charged bond.

This is very likely to stunt the student’s desire to embrace concepts for themselves.

I know from personal experience that the classes that were the most memorable and

enjoyable to me were the ones where the teachers encouraged discourse and expressed

opinions about different topics. The advantage of learning to speak your belief succinctly and

empathetically at a young age is a valuable skill that can lead to problem-solving and

teamwork skills for the rest of your life. Personal interests and democratic discussion is at the

core of progressivism and they are the main reason that I support it.

What Should Be Taught and Why

If the purpose of education is to be able to develop your voice in the world, then as a

student you should be taught the skills needed to understand material and the abstract thought

needed to manifest it into something memorably personal. This is where I tend to think a bit

like an essentialist, because I do believe that some core things like math, reading, writing,

history, and science should be universally taught, though obviously with variations based on

geographic regions. For example, students in France should know the history and culture of

their country and should learn the basics of the metric system and other common math and

science components. This will be different for students in America. They will need to

prioritize other parts of history or literature that pertains to their country and learn the

imperial system because that is the system that they will grow up experiencing.
 However, I also believe that those things should be taught with the goal of exercising the

brain and making it more open to thinking about complex ideas. The student should also be

encouraged to pursue their own interests within the “core” classes. A well-educated person,

then, should be able to think abstractly and critically based on a solid foundation, but also

foster a lasting curiosity about the world. To implement this in my music classroom, I would

give the students interesting options to practice necessary fundamentals such as scales or

etudes. Then when they came prepared to class, I would ask for their input into the pieces

that we played and listen to feedback about the repertoire that I chose.

The Nature of the Learner

I am not planning on following the traditional path for a teacher or educator. I am

planning on becoming a music teacher, which already implies a teaching career of

uncertainty especially as a string player because I could potentially teach so many things.

Anything from large ensembles such as marching band, chorus, orchestra, to individual

private lessons, to non-instrumental theory and history classes, or a combination of all of the

above.

I also hope to be able to teach internationally, ideally with a non-profit. This means that I

could be teaching anyone from the wealthy children of expatriates in private schools to at-

risk kids in difficult and low-budget situations. This ambiguity is exciting for me because I

relish adventure, but on the other hand it is sometimes hard to anticipate who will be in my

classroom and what sort of learners to prepare for.

I firmly believe that everyone should have access to a strong, well-rounded education

regardless of gender, race, nationality, socioeconomic standing, ability, or geographic

location. However, I also realize that realistically, different students will require different
resources and techniques. Overall, however I would have a high level of expectations for my

students with lots of love and support to balance that.

I believe that it is important for students to have seemingly impossible goals and a

teacher who will say, yes you can do that and I will whatever I can do to help you. This

provides the student with a foundation of encouragement and stability, and when they

achieve their goal it can do amazing things for their personal self-esteem. I do think it is

important for the students to set their own goals and get their on their own with the

knowledge that the teacher will always be there to help because it promotes a sense of

agency. I also think that students should be encouraged to collaborate with their peers and

support each in their endeavors. Often times, students are pitted against each other in a

competitive way and that is a shame. Progressivism values student interaction and

collaboration as opposed to essentialism which does value competition as a driving force.

The Role of the Teacher

Similarly to how I believe students should not be encouraged to take part in competition

with their fellow students, teachers should also not be forced into competition with each

other. It is so sad to me that a teacher or school’s value is often based completely on their

students’ standardized test performances. This environment is not healthy for educators who

feel isolated and it does not promote the spread of educational ideas because the emphasis is

more on the outcome than the input.

I would want to treat my fellow educators with courtesy and respect. For example, I

would try to get to know teachers who may not even be in my department and find out how I

can help them or how we could work together. With administrators, I would try to be helpful

and inclusive. I think that administrators often feel left out of the most inner community of
the school. I would try to invite them into my classroom to help create a bond between the

administrator and the student and to help ease the stigma that administrators are only around

to get people into trouble. Based on the philosophy of progressivism, I would try to promote

harmony, collaboration, and democratic values in my interactions with my co-workers.

Teaching Methods That Should Be Used and Why

As mentioned above, I am still not sure what my future classroom will look like. I don’t

know if I will be in a tiny studio or an open-air classroom, or a large and acoustically vibrant

auditorium. Ideally, I would like to teach an ensemble class and have a larger classroom that

has enough room to set out stands and chairs to practice, but is also large enough to be able to

store the instruments with an office and a place where kids can sit and feel comfortable.

My absolute favorite room in my high school was our band room because I spent so

much time there. Even if I wasn’t playing, there was room to eat lunch, do homework, hang

out with friends, or chat with my directors. That room became my second home and I want to

create the same feeling in the classroom that I occupy. I want it to feel like a safe and

welcoming space for every person who walks through the door even if they don’t play an

instrument. Progressivism is about the student exploring his or her interests and I believe that

should include some delegated as one thing, such as a music classroom, being used to create

exponentially more.

If I end up teaching a large ensemble, than it will most often look like me standing in

front of a class and directing them, but I would try to encourage participation and feedback

within that. Maybe a student can lead the warm-up or provide an analysis of how we played.

Leadership is an important skill and music is a great way to develop it. I would also, of

course, encourage student’s personal interests and facilitate the implementation of those
 interests through things like the opportunity for small group performances and allowing

students to vote on which songs we played in a concert.

My teaching philosophy most closely aligns with progressivism, but I also believe in the

value of teaching essential skills including math and science. The parts of progressivism that

most interest me are the focus on the individual student and developing his or her interest,

and the values of unity and democracy. In a toxic educational system that promotes

competition and the need to get ahead, progressivism can feel like a breath of fresh air. I

don’t know exactly what my future classroom will look or sound like, and I don’t even know

exactly what I’ll be teaching. What I do know is that I want to treat my students and co-

workers with respect, empathy, and support. My goal will be to develop my student’s

capacity to think for themselves and hopefully to spark a sense of curiosity about the world.

Citations
PBS. (n.d.). Only a teacher: John Dewey Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/john.html
Sadker, D. M., & Zittleman, K. R. (2016). Teachers, schools, and society: A brief introduction to education. New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.