Lauren Mullen Dr. Carr 2 October 2013 EDUC 406-02 Teacher or Tightrope Walker?

A Teachers Balancing Act Every student is different. That is what I have been taught since I began taking education classes in my senior year of high school. Pre-service teachers like myself are taught about the different types of learners and the instructional strategies that cater to each. We spend so much time learning about the different students that may come to us throughout our careers that we sometimes forget that each teacher is different and has a different educational philosophy. There are five different official philosophies on education: Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Social Re-Constructivism, and Existentialism. Each one is unique and displays a different set of ideals on how students learn best, how students are best assessed, and different instructional strategies favored by each teacher. According to my McGraw-Hill assessment, I held qualities of the Progressivist as well as the Essentialist to the highest standard. This is intriguing because these two philosophies are quite opposite one anothers. Progressivism focuses on the whole child with the teacher as the facilitator. Students learn through questioning and active experimentation. Their curriculum is based on interest, and the two most common instructional strategies include cooperative and active learning. A progressive teacher intends to instill social skills, critical thinking, and problem solving in her students (VanPatten, Davidson, 129). I see a progressive teacher as one who presents interactive lesson plans that engage the student and keep them on their toes; there is constant controlled chaos, noise, and excitementthere is never a boring day in her classroom.

Essentialism is at the other end of the spectrum. This philosophy dictates that all students are taught core information that is standard across the board. The curriculum is fact based on the traditional core subjects (math, science, history, and language/reading) and frowns upon vocational courses (Theodre, 1). The essential teacher intends to instill more traditional moral values in her students including, but not limited to, respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality (Theodre 1). When I picture an essential teacher, I picture her standing at the front of the room lecturing to a large group of calm, quiet, and attentive children. Each day is strictly routine, and there are scarcely any surprises. I want to add here, before I continue my paper any further, that neither of these teachers is any better than the other. Both could present lessons that are rich in content, presents the information in a clear and concise manner, and is intriguingly fun for the student to learn. Both may have students with test scores through the roofbut it is quite clear to me which teacher a child may choose. That being said, I continue on my analysis of the two philosophies. During the primary stages of my research on these two philosophies I was quite sure that my test was inaccurate; how could I have tied for these theories that are so opposite one another? I had a few minutes in which I pondered the theory of harboring a split personality before realizing that being an educator is all about balance. A day in the life of a teacher is a greater balancing act than any tightrope walker, and my test results show that I am seeking a balance between each given teacher, progressive and essential. I opened my paper on the fact that each student is different and therefore will learn differently, and I return to that idea now. If each student is different, then shouldnt each teacher present a different method of learning throughout the year so as to meet each students needs? I believe so. I believe that there are some students who need to learn cooperatively, some who need to learn through doing, and some who need the

material taken down a notch and explained to him, by a teacher, step-by-step. Neither a progressivist nor an essentialist does all of this in a day. But a teacher who balances between them may. Personally, I think my own balance is about 70% Progressivist and 30% Essentialist. I have strong beliefs that students should participate in cooperative learning, problem solve, and think critically. My students will be active participants in the learning process rather than allow themselves to be guided through the days events. I also believe that the other things students get whilst in school, like art, music, physical education, guidance, and technology education are just as important. I firmly believe that a student who sits is a student who quits meaning that a sedentary student is more likely to tune out and become lost. That being said, I think there is some value in teaching the same content to all students. I think that education should be equal opportunity 100% of the way, and that unequal education would create such a gap that we would never overcome it. I also believe that there is so much value in character education and teaching those traditional moral values to students. I have always felt that as a teacher, I should care about the student themselves before I care about what the student needs academically. If my student leaves my classroom without learning every part of a plant cell with confidence, but with an undoubted knowledge of the difference in right and wrong, then I believe I have done my job. My combination of the two philosophies is more than taking the two and meshing them together. There are certain parts of each philosophy that I would take and drop in my basket, and there are certainly some in each that I would leave on the shelf. I have addressed those I favor: learning through questioning and experiment, cooperative and active learning, social skills,

critical thinking, interactive lesson plans, a standardized core of information, fact based curriculum, and moral values. The first five qualities are rooted in progressivism, the last three in essentialism. I have picked these first five qualities from progressivism rather than essentialism. That is, I have picked the controlled chaos to utilize in my application of the lesson (cooperative learning, active learning, critical thinking) and the essentialist qualities to utilize to plan my lessons (standardized core of information, fact based curriculum, moral values). I guess I have, in Girl Scout fashion, made some new friends and kept some old. I return to my former statement about the clear choice in which teacher the child would choose. The most important positive aspect of Progressivism that I have chosen is the embedded ideal that learning is fun. Learning is about the child, not about the content. This, I think, is the biggest difference in Progressivism and Essentialism. That being said, there are also some qualities I would leave behind. I do not think it is helpful to have a curriculum based solely on student interest. While the curriculum should hold the students attention and keep them engaged, it does not mean that a student who feels that improper fractions are unimportant to learn should be exempt. It merely means that the teachers job is made that much harder; she now has to motivate her students to want learn those improper fractions. Secondly, I firmly believe that vocational courses are vital to students education. It is ludicrous to me that a teacher may believe that these courses are unnecessary! Education should, as Progressivists say, be about the whole child. If you have ever met a child, any child, you would know that children need as much room as possible to express themselves and their childhood, and that sitting them in front of a chalkboard all day does not contribute to that expression. In conclusion, I believe that each student is different, and should be treated as such. This means that I as a teacher must perfect my balancing act between the Progressive and Essential

philosophies through lesson plans with a multitude of instructional strategies that target different learning styles. I must remember that my job is to give each student the education they deserve while still teaching to my own personal standards. This balance between the best of both worlds approach to Progressivism and Essentialism will enhance my students learning and instill in them values that will last them a lifetime.

References Theodre, P. (n.d.). Essentialism. Retrieved from http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/essentialism.html VanPatten, J., & Davidson, B. (2010). PROGRESSIVISM: ANOTHER LOOK THEN AND NOW. Journal Of Philosophy & History Of Education, 60126-132.