Factors in the Idealist-Inspired Education

by Stephen Bernz

Overview

Idealism is a philosophical thought that greatly affects education. This report discusses

about the teacher in an idealist classroom set up. The purpose of this report is to elaborate on

how idealism is portrayed in a classroom by the teachers. The report found out that teachers

shows exemplary characteristics as a role model to the students. This ideal teacher’s

characteristics is made possible by considering the environment, teaching methodologies,

students, subject matter and culture. Since Philippines was conquered by Spaniard and the form

of education that time stressed out on religion which one of the idealism’s main content; approach

of the first teachers was already exercised from old times until today. Report shows that teachers

in idealistic classroom setup tends to mainly focus on the intellectuality of the students and might

not considers other factors which lies in the real world; knowledge that can be obtained through

the learner’s senses.

Background

Idealism were one of the old philosophies in education and was exercised by many

throughout the ages. It really influences a lot of people especially teachers. Idealists believe that

true reality hides within the people’s mind. Ideas is the true reality. An idealist teacher focuses

on the ideal act of the students and the ideas according to words of God . Idealist teacher in a

classroom aims to develop students’ spiritual, mental and moral being.

Since idealists believe in character development, they also believe that the teacher should

be a role model for students to emulate. Teaching is considered a moral calling. The teacher’s
role is to be a skillful questioner who encourages students to think and ask more questions in an

environment that is suitable for learning.

The teacher is the central controller in the idealist pattern of education. The teacher is

the key to the educative process than any other element comprising it. He/she is the singular

position of determining what the student’s opportunities for learning and growing shall be. He/she

sets the character of the environment in which the learning take place. He/she organizes the

subject matter and is largely the mouthpiece through which it comes to the learner.

Discussion

This major philosophical thought shows a good example in making an ideal person or

students inside and outside the classroom. With the help of the teachers, the one who execute

a good example to his or her students, the learners are improving close to what is an ideal

individual should be. Studies shows that most teachers who applied this philosophical thought to

their teaching improves the performance of their students. (Esmailian 2014) Some characteristicts

of the teachers in the idealist classroom were listed below:

THE TEACHER IN THE IDEALIST CLASSROOM SHOULD BE:

1. The personification of reality for the child. For the immature, the teacher is the universe made

personal.

2. A specialist in the knowledge of learners.

3. An excellent technician. He must be professional in every sense of the word, the master of

professional techniques.

4. The kind of person who commands the respect of the learner by the virtue of what he himself

is.
5. A persona friend of the individual student.

6. A person who awakens in the learner the desire to learn. True teaching makes learning so

attractive and compelling in interest that pupils want to learn.

7. A master of the art of living. The genuine teacher can lead the learner in a spiritual process

in which his own creative activity provides the student with an example that awakens initiative.

8. A co-worker with God in perfecting man, at times he becomes the very father of the learner’s

soul.

9. One who communicates his subject. He knows his students and the subject matter he teaches.

10. One who appreciates the subject he teaches.

11. One who always learns at the same time that he teaches.

12. An apostle of progress if he fulfills his entire role.

13. A maker of democracies.

14. A study in self elimination. He is a vigorous person who inspires, arouses and awakens

students by what he is and the way he conducts himself.

In addition to the numbered items above, an idealist teacher is a person who smiles with

full of energy to teach. She is the best instructor for optimal learning. The inspiration of the

students. An educator who passes all his or her learning to the future generation. The idealist

teacher is a combination of being quite authoritative but can be considered as a friend. He or she

exercised the methods from the old times until now. She embodies a perennial teacher.

In the idealist classroom, he or she introduce people also known as guest speakers to

share their own experiences and story of success. Having a role model for the students is one of

the main content of idealist set up classroom. For the learners to be inspired. To strive to be as

perfect as their role models.

 When it comes to Educational Technology, idealist teacher shall use multimedia. This will

help him or her to show and present other inspiring stories and information that cannot be

presented physically to the class. The use of supplemental materials such as videos and computers

are a must in educational programs. In today`s society everything moves rather quickly and

the future generations must be able to keep pace. The world is at our fingertips through these

devices

Idealistic teacher in the classroom should make the environment clean and comfortable

for the students. The more the place is comfortable to the individual the more the mind is relax

to have a better opportunity of thinking. Teacher should strive for a classroom that would be

conducive to learning. However, interest should be stimulated by the display of attractive bulletin

boards that are pertinent to the material being taught.

The Teacher in the Idealist Inspired Classroom: The Teaching Methods

Environment is only one of the factors of a teacher in an idealist classroom. For it to be

effective, teaching methods is highly emphasized as well. Idealism applied to a classroom must

enable students to think deeply and critically. Socratic Method is one of the very effective method

for the learners to think. The word Socratic is derived from the name of the first teacher who

exercised idealism whose name is Socrates.

He believes that asking logical questions encourages his students to think and as they live

they can use it for their ideal life. Asking questions could stimulate their minds and make them

interested to the topic given resulting to willingness to participate in the discussion. But it will

not work if it is only low-leveled questions it should be something that could enable them to

analyze and develop logical thinking.

 Questioning is only a part in idealistic classroom set up. Based on Gotek’s research about

the implication of Idealism to teaching methods, he said that lecture is also part in making an ideal

individual who think. Lecture is for new information acquired coming from the teacher. By

associating these new ideas from past experience, through thinking, one can now discover new

things. If Socrates used question and answer when he is the teacher his student also introduce

another method. His student who is also one of the proponents of Idealism is Plato.

Plato introduced the Dialectic or Dialectics also known today as Discourse method. It is

a communication between two or more people with different points of view in a single subject

aiming to get the truth through reasoning and this process is commonly known as debating. In

this way, they are not only questioning other’s point of view in search of truth. They expresses

themselves through reasoning out. Debating now is one of the effective method for the teacher

in the idealist set up classroom. It helps them in a way that students challenge themselves to think

logically.

Moreover, not only Socrates and Plato introduce teaching methods to an Idealistic

classroom set ups. Others like Descartes engaged simple to complex activities. Herbart promote

Instruction Method and many other methods employed to idealistic teaching method in the

classroom.

Other applicable methods were imitating models, introspection and reflective thinking

method. These other methods also aiming to arouse students’ minds to think deeply more than

expected.

Teacher in the idealist inspired classroom will give more importance to the “self” of the

individual . They stress out the fullest development of the personality of an individual. Plato
expressed that each individual has its own ideal self. This individual will try to develop this ideal

“self” more and more. It supports Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. A simple individual

will first satisfy its physiological needs until he develops and fulfil the other needs up to self-

realization.

Students’ Role in the Idealist Inspired Classroom

In the information above, it mostly tackles about the teachers in the idealist classroom.

Teaching and learning is not a one way process. “It takes two to tango” as the song implies. For

the idealist classroom set up to be successful, it should be with the participation of the students.

In this classroom set up for idealist, as the teacher showcase all the things mentioned above,

students or learners imitate the teacher who is an exemplar of an ideal person. They also tries

to do their very best they can and strive toward perfection.

Idealism application to Technical-Vocational Educators/Teachers.

Idealist set up mainly focuses in the mental development of the learners. In the Article of

Annick Brennen about the Idealist Curriculum and its Methods she discussed the subjects covered

by an Idealist. She mentioned that idealist is best used in subject such as History, Literature,

Mathematics and Humanities. These subjects are dealing with abstraction and needs logical

thinking. Therefore, application of Idealist characteristic to Tech-Voc will only covers

understanding of ideas and concepts of the subject matter.

It also covers the attitude of the students in accepting and absorbing the content of the

subject. Professor Brennen added as well that Idealist-based curriculum does not adequately

supports social needs and one of the current social needs is the necessity for middle-levelled and

skilful workers which is learned through Technical-Vocational subjects.

 Teacher in the Idealist Inspired Classroom: Philippine Education

Idealism plays a significant role in Philippine Education. From Spanish times up to the 21st

century. An article created by Chicky Dionisio shows how idealism was fused to the teachers,

the learners and the classroom setup as well. She mentioned in the article that she is a product

of idealistic classroom setup. Teacher is the exemplar model of good. The main source of the

knowledge. The teachers in her time usually do the probing and talking in the classroom.

Lectures is the common method used as well. They tend to write a lot in elementary and

high school days. The teachers taught them the way the teachers believe that they need deep

knowledge on things in the ideal world. Usually, the attitudes of the students are developed

depending how the teacher teaches in her class. The teacher that exhibits good moral values will

also implement it to his/ her students. Students will be inspired and consider their teacher the

role model. Someone they can imitate.

Advantages and Disadvantages of an Idealist Classroom setup

Idealist Classroom Setup

Advantages Disadvantages

1. It promotes ideal or perfect outcome 1. It greatly focuses on the mind not in

for the students. the reality.

2. It encourages students to think 2. The source of knowledge focus only

logically thru asking questions, probing on the mind and not the sensory part

etc. of the individual

3. To develop students spiritual, mental 3. It aims perfection that might not be

and moral being. possible due to several factors

4. Intellectual approach to gain affecting the learning process.

knowledge 4. It misses the physical development of

5. The students is expected to show the learner

exemplar performance as they imitate

their teacher.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Idealistic set up may affect the learners. It’s actually good

that the learners should aim the best close to perfection. However it is still only the ideal or the

perceived positive outcome in a given situation. There’s still several factors that may affect the

learners such as the environment, learning style, and their needs and interest. Logical thinking

through discourse or talk will improve the cognitive part of the learner but there’s also physical

aspects that we need to consider. Most of the disadvantages is from another philosophical thought

known as Realism.
Conclusion

Teacher in the Idealistic Inspired classroom will embody the philosophical thought of

Idealism. The teacher in this set up will mainly focuses in a vision of having high goals and

objectives regardless of what the current reality may be. Idealist withdrawn themselves out of

their senses and purely rely on their minds. Idealist inspired classroom teachers aims to develop

the spiritual, moral, and mental being of their learners hence it helps every learner to develop

abilities in full moral excellence in order to better serve the society.

The main person who has a very important role in this kind of set up is the teacher. The

teacher must exhibits a good example for the students. He or she is portraying an excellent

individual in terms of intellectual moral and spiritual. The teacher has a great skill with a mastery

of his or own subjects. A person who encourages students to think and ask more questions and

develop logical thinking. The teacher shall exercise great creative skill in providing opportunities

for the learners’ mind to dis cover, analyze, synthesize and create applications of knowledge to

life and behaviour. They are the main source of the knowledge. For them to achieve this, one

shall consider the environment. An ideal classroom set up is conducive for learning. This should

be the place wherein they feel safe and comfortable. They were not distracted with other external

factors that may divert their attention.

To cater as well the learners, there should be teaching methods which supports the

philosophical thought of idealism. Question and Answer and debate are one of the effective

methods in this idealistic set ups. With the help of these method it satisfies the students in

searching the truth in a given subject matter. A lot of idealist develops their own teaching method
that they consider ideal or perceived as the correct method. None of them support other

idealists’ method.

Since teaching learning is a two way process. Participation of the students is very

important because they are the main concerned in this two-way process. Students in the eyes

of an Idealist teacher should be the imitator of what they have done. Students under them will

largely focus in aiming the best. They want to be as close or the same with their teacher when it

comes to intellectuality and morality. The teachers in this kind of classroom should act as a role

model. A good example of perfection.

The Idealist Classroom set-up for teachers in Technical Vocational education may help

but it does not covers everything. Since Technical Vocational education focuses to the interest

and needs of the students. The set up can only help them in a minimal amount such as

understanding concepts and ideas abstraction of some principles. It cannot be supported by

idealist setup alone.

As idealist spreads throughout the world. The idealist teacher in an Idealist Classrooms

setups also happened in the Philippines. Since we are enculturated by Spaniards the education in

Spanish times focuses on Idealistic approach which contains religion and specific goals to be

achieved. Catholic schools is one of the educational institution who pursue this kind of

philosophical set up for their classroom as well as with their teachers.

Although idealism is one of the major philosophical thoughts and it was exercised long

time ago until now. There’s still some advantages and disadvantages of this thought not only for

the classroom setup but with everything. There are some factors that may not work depending
what will the society, the learners and other factors may need. In addition to this, the idealistic

approach is only a conception of a good outcome.