Essay Sample on Essentialism: Teaching Students Core Knowledge and Patriotism

The five philosophies of education, as revealed in the chapter, include essentialism, perennialism, progressivism, social reconstructions, and existentialism (Zittleman & Sadker, 2015).

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Essentialism

Strives to teach students accumulated knowledge of issues concerning civilization through the core courses taught in school v. The aim of essentialism is to instill students with what they refer to as essentials for academic knowledge, patriotism and ensure the development of character. It is a back-to-basics approach that is meant to train the mind, promote reasoning, and also ensure that there is a common culture.

Perennialism

Advocates for classrooms that are focused on teachers. There is little or no tolerance for the flexibility of the curriculum, meaning that there is the implementation of rigorous standards (Zittleman & Sadker, 2015). The aim of perennialism is to sharpen the intellectual powers of the student as well as enhance their moral qualities. The organization of perennialism for the school is such that it is around books, ideas, and concepts.

Adopting perennialist education means that the students endure themes and questions over the ages. The belief by perennialists is that the goal of education is to develop rational thoughts and that minds are disciplined to think rigorously (Zittleman & Sadker, 2015). Education, according to perennialists, is a way to identify and prepare the intellectually gifted for leadership.

Progressivism

Seeks to organize a school around curiosity, corners, and real experiences of the world for the students (Zittleman & Sadker, 2015). A progressive teacher facilitates learning by assisting students in formulating meaningful questions and design strategies for answering such questions. The answers are retrieved from real-world experiences. The belief of progressivism philosophy is in pragmatism, where they have the notion that to determine if an idea has merit, the simple thing to do is test it. Education is seen as a perfect opportunity to learn how to apply previous experiences in new ways.

Social reconstruction

The philosophy that seeks to encourage schools, teachers, and also students to focus their studies on alleviating pervasive social inequalities (Zittleman & Sadker, 2015). That way, there could be a reconstruction of society into a new and more just social order. In a class-based on social reconstruction, there is more focus on research projects rather than an academic exercise. It is such that the class engages in a genuine effort that improves society. This way, the class may participate in activities such as meeting with political leaders, encouraging the creation of programs or legislation meant to respond to issues of students.

Existentialism

Refers to the philosophy that asserts that the need for education is to help children find meaning and direction in their lives. Existentialism rejects the idea that adults could be meaningful learning for children (Zittleman & Sadker, 2015). Existentialism philosophy believes that everyone must look within themselves to discover their own truth or purpose in life. It is not efficient to teach students what adults believe they should learn because most of that learning will be forgotten. Existentialism rejects traditional approaches of learning and seeks to define the teacher’s role as helping the students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths.

The philosophy that most aligns with my belief is progressivism because the curriculum is built around the experiences, interests, and also the abilities of the students (Cassuto, 2013). The students are encouraged to work together cooperatively as it should be the case. Experiments help students learn more concepts around their interest centers.

The top qualities of good teachers include having the ability to develop relationships with students, being patient with students, is dedicated to teaching, knowing learners, and engaging students in classroom activities. The role of a teacher is to impart knowledge to students by setting up environments that students can learn effectively. A teacher interprets learning materials to students, researches new concepts to teach students, and plays the role of a mentor for them as well. The role of a student is to learn by realizing that they are responsible for their academic success. Such responsibility is demonstrated by them making the right choices and taking actions that are in line with their educational goals.

Adjectives to describe suitable teaching styles include directive, discursive, and delegative. The directing style involves providing context before launching. The discussion style involves learning through interaction, and delegating style promotes learning through empowering students. Some of the effective ways to motivate students include establishing clear goals for them, being a source of inspiration, developing meaningful and respectful relationships as well as promoting a mindset of growth (Chua & Rubenfeld, 2014). Students should learn skills that make them better people for the future. Students need to learn skills such as critical thinking, solving problems, entrepreneurialism, oral and written communication, and collaboration across networks.

Conclusion

The most effective way to assess student learning is by creating assignments, exams, and grading them according to performance. Such techniques are useful in stimulating student reflection on the lesson and help them process the learning. The purpose of school I to foster educated citizens, a healthy society, and a peaceful world. People need to attend school so that they can gain the skills and education required to live successfully.

References

Cassuto, L. (2013). What’s your teaching philosophy? It’s time to overhaul a foolish job-application requirement. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/Whats-Your-Teaching/143315/

Chua, A., & Rubenfeld, J. (2014). What drives success? Opinion. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/opinion/sunday/what-drives-success.html

Zittleman, K., & Sadker, D. M. (2015). Teachers, schools, and society: a brief introduction to education. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.