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Introduction

Education can be viewed through several different lenses. Everyone -students and

teachers- has their own view on what school should be, not all views are the same.

These views influence how effective the classroom is at doing what is was meant to do,

growing minds. Whether it is facilitating student learning or drilling facts, the way that

the education system is viewed by the people in it affects its effectiveness. The

classroom is a multifaceted organism. I believe that the classroom that will best serve

the student takes ideas from several of the major philosophies. The philosophy that this

paper will be more closely associated with is existentialism. This philosophy focuses on

the student as an individual. For the existentialist the world of existence, choice, and

responsibility is primary (Webb, Metha & Jordan, 2010, p. 61). This is the running theme

that can be seen throughout the paper.

My Philosophy

My ideal classroom would still match with the ideals of existentialism, and the

educational movements those ideals that followed behind it. The purpose of school

would be to teach the individual learner. It is an academic atmosphere in which students

will be encouraged to make decisions and critically analyze the world around them. The

classroom will be a safe place where the students would feel comfortable exploring their

education. School would not be a place that perpetuated the cycling of mindless drones

into society. My version of school would provide students with meaningful connections

to the real world. They would be able to see themselves as a part of the whole instead

of as a bystander. It would be a discussion based haven where the students would

become critical thinkers, and upon graduating make meaningful contributions to their
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worlds. Although, I would hope that they would not wait until graduation to try and make

positive change in their environments. For most of those in my generation school was

and probably still is a place that inspired fear and loathing in the hearts of everyone that

attended. Though I was one of the lucky few who flourished in the rigid monochrome

environment I will admit that it did not prepare me to face college life. I was especially

not ready to solve everyday problems. Due to my educational background, I had no real

world problem solving skills. I had never had the chance to make a decision, or

someone to challenge me to think critically. The sight of any obstacle that I could not

overcome would lead me to think ‘not my problem’ or ‘it doesn’t matter’. Even though I

had attended magnet schools all of my life and was usually at the top of my class I was

wholly unprepared to join everyday society. Here at Wesleyan, I have developed those

critical thinking skills that are so needed to survive. One of the ways that I have done

this is by honoring my inner adventurous child.

Children are naturally curious. It is the nature of a child to explore. There is no such

thing as a child that is unable to learn. Like Piaget and Bruner, I believe that children are

always able to learn. They might not be able to learn what you want or at the pace you

deem sufficient, but a child is always able to learn. The most important ideal that

constructionists follow is that the student has the capacity to understand. It is the basis

of the entire movement. This allowed students to have an in depth style of learning in

which they uncovered a much more detailed amount of knowledge that could not be

gained through other forms of teaching (Ream, 2007, p. 153).

Current events and critical analysis would be main focuses of the curriculum. This is not

to say that I would completely drop the general education requirements. I think that they
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are important to have in the curriculum. But, we should change the way that we teach

these subjects and in doing so we would be broadening the students’ educational

horizons. Taking an analytical standpoint in a social studies class would help students

to apply history in a meaningful way to their own lives. This would be a great way to

ensure diversity of thought in the classroom. Exposing students to current events would

be a key feature of postmodernism. This approach to knowledge encourages lifelong

learning as opposed to the idea that we are done learning when we graduate from high

school or college having received a diploma or degree. ‘Life long learning’, however,

cuts across this school and post school distinction to suggest a learning process which

spans the whole of one’s life (Leicester, 2000, p. xvi).

In coming to Wesleyan, I have realized that there are a variety of instructional methods

that could be implemented in the classroom. The most effective form of instruction is

discussion based. Whether it is in groups, one on one, or through email, discussion

remains my favorite instructional method. Another method of instruction I would use is

hands on activities. By setting up stations for the students to use to I would be able to

engage the students while also assessing their progress. Allowing the students to get

into the midst of what they are learning that week will give them a better understanding.

Differentiated classrooms would be a cornerstone of my education system. The

differentiated classroom upholds every standard of constructivism. In a differentiated

classroom, commonalities are acknowledged and built upon, and student differences

become important elements in teaching and learning as well (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 1).

From my readings in my classes I have learned that there should be specific rules set

for the children. Students do not welcome surprises or embrace disorganization,

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especially those who come from a disorganized home life (Wong & Wong, 2014). In

addition, the students will have jobs to do around the classroom to foster a sense of

responsibility, and community. It will give the student a sense of place and pride to know

that they are part of a community and that what they do affects that community. The

rules of the classroom will be clearly stated and discussed with the students. There

should never be a time when the student does not understand his or her indiscretion.

The rules of the class will not only help to keep behavior on the up and up, but they will

also serve to make the classroom run smoothly. This can also serve as a form of

assessment.

Students will be assessed in different ways. By using a variety of assessment methods

we can more accurately assess a student’s knowledge. The most frequently used form

of assessment in my ideal school would be discussion. Through discussion the teacher

will be able to tell how much the student has learned and how well they understand the

information. More varied forms of assessments include kinesthetic activities and self-

assessment opportunities. Hands on activities would allow the students to apply their

knowledge, and self-assessments like journals and organizers will allow the students to

monitor their own progress. Exams should not be the only way to assess the students’

knowledge. About two-thirds of the time the exam is not a correct depiction of the

students’ knowledge. Relying on a snapshot summary of weeks, maybe even months,

of intensive work in a content area does the classroom no justice. It devalues the

teacher’s role as a creativity facilitator. An end of the year test should not be able to ruin

a student’s academic career. My classroom will put little emphasis on exams. It puts

unnecessary stress on the student and the teacher.

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Conclusion

In the future, I hope to implement and grow my philosophy of education even further.

From elementary to college level classes, this philosophy is one that could span the

grades. School would become an environment that the students looked forward to being

in and interacting with on a day to day basis. The students would find community in the

classroom and in doing so have a different outlook on their community outside of the

school. This environment would also encourage the student’s natural curiosity. They

would be taught to question everything, even themselves. In doing so they would

become more self aware and less likely to brush aside things that they do not

understand. I would want the students to uphold the constructivist outlook by critically

analyzing their problems. The students would be encouraged to take any amount of

time to follow the leads of a problem to come to a solution. It would also teach the

students that some problems do not have readily made solutions. Work is needed to

come close to mastery. I would lead discussions encouraging that ideal. Assessing the

students’ progress with this model will be engaging for the students while at the same

time ensuring that they are grasping the material. Using this philosophy, I hope to better

my students.
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References

Leicester, M. Fields, J. (2000). Lifelong Learning: Education Across the Lifespan.

Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=0I_Y-

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3BmGWBUDVjEq_vKEg4gA#v=onepage&q=lifelong%20learning%20articles&f=f

alse

Ream, Todd C. (2007). “Pragmatism and the Unlikely Influence of German Idealism.”

Educational Theory and Philosophy, 39 (2), 150-167. Retrieved from

https://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/detail?vid=8&sid=7b6b0f79-1c34-45a8-8473-

ed61cd2f15b5%40sessionmgr11&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUm

c2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=24410157

Tomlinson, C.A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms (2nd

e.d.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Webb, L.D. Metha, A. Jordan, K.F. (2010). Foundations of American Education (6th

e.d.). Columbus, OH: Merrill.

Wong, H. K. Wong R. T. (2014). Classroom Management: Consistency is Key.

Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/classroom-

management-consistency-key