My Educational Theory

 

My Educational Theory

It is impossible to prepare a child for any set of conditions for life. For we do not know what the future may carry within its seed. The only thing we can do is to impart to the student a set of skills and values that will stand him or her in good stead to face anything that life may offer. For this, we need to move away from the examination focused education to a life focused education. This is only possible by setting curated experiences for a child in schools that enable him or her to develop the life skills needed as he or she faces the challenges set through the experience. Hence my educational theory can be summed as Progressivism, where education follows the cycle of (a) experience, (b) reflection and (c) action. The aim is to develop in each individual the unique way of facing life as they learn through curated experiences based in thematic units

(Amidon, Monroe, & Ortwein, n.d.).

Why Progressivism?

The focus of Progressivism is the whole child. The philosophy respects development of a child as an individual. However, this is not a static development, but a dynamic one that sows the seeds of being a lifelong learner in the child (Shook, 2016, 0.24).

It speaks to me for two reasons:

1. It resonates with my own core belief system.

My belief system in education has as its base Integral Education by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. The basis of this is to lead a child to integral perfection, that is body, mind, emotions and what can be called as spirit (Thuruthiyil, n.d.). The method of this is summed in one of the principles that he gave which is ‘nothing can be taught’. This entails creating a space where the innate knowledge in the child is evoked instead of being fed. And this is the core of a progressive space. Where the experience set up is such that as the child faces it, with teacher’s facilitation, he or she discovers knowledge instead of being handed it.

In such a space the role of the teacher is to be intensely progressive herself and continuously grow as a person. This is what makes the space welcoming to me as I grow each day, admiring its uniqueness. There is no dull moment in the class as the focus is not to pass the examination but keeping it as one of challenges to fulfill.

2. It gives me ample space for creative exploration in the classroom.

In progressivism, students are actively experimenting with ideas in the classroom (Shook, 2016, 0.57). Education according to Dewey is the “participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race” (Dewey, 1897, para. 1). As such, education should take into account that the student is a social being (Amidon, Monroe, & Ortwein, n.d.). If we focus on creating individuals that participate in social consciousness of the race, then education itself needs to be a space where consciousness of the child evolves continuously.

A progressive classroom is centered on exploration and experience and teachers are facilitators for growth and not prescribers. Teaching strategies in such a classroom will include: small groups debating, custom-made activities, and learning stations. Teachers are not centered on their station but walk freely around the class, engaging with students through questions or discussions (Lynch, 2016). They are less concerned with passing on their culture and strive to allow students to develop an individual approach to tasks provided to them. In such a space I find the room to engage with students freely and grow as a person.

Classroom Practice

A progressivism based space is based on the needs and development of the students. The focus is student growth and they are allowed to ask questions (Shook, 2016, 0.57). Development of social qualities is indispensable as are other skills that are needed for life such as inquiry, critical thinking and self reflection (Shook, 2016, 0.57).

Cooperative learning is the core strength of my classroom, and that is a key strategy for progressivism (Shook, 2016, 2.59). My students are often divided into group work for (a) solving math problems, (b) doing a team project, (c) discussing a Historical snippet about math, or (d) working in pairs to help each other develop the core math strengths. If any group does not wish to work together, I engage in a dialogue about team work as a life skill. This usually calms them as they make an effort to work with those that they would not otherwise.

The other core strength is dialogue. There is a free-flowing dialogue through which I teach, where there is space for asking questions from both sides. As a student once said, “She asks more questions than she answers”.

References

1. Amidon, J., Monroe, A., & Ortwein, M. (n.d.). Progressive education. In Education, society, & the K-12 learner. Retrieved March 02, 2018, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/teachereducationx92x1/chapter/progressive-education/
2. Lynch, M. (2016, November 03). Philosophies of education: 3 types of student-centered philosophies. Retrieved March 07, 2018, from http://www.theedadvocate.org/philosophies-education-3-types-student-centered-philosophies/
3. Sharpes, D. K. (2013). Modern educational philosophies. In Advanced educational foundations for teachers: The history, philosophy, and culture of schooling (pp. 399-430). Retrieved March 1, 2018, from eBook Central.
4.  Shook, T. (2016, November 04). Progressivism: Overview practical teaching examples. [Video file] https://youtu.be/rCLKvKuaKQo (3:32)
5. Thuruthiyil, S. (n.d.). The Educative Proposal of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/33889830/The_Educative_Proposal_of_Sri_Aurobindo_Ghosh