My entire philosophy of education has been in the context of maths education.

- August 26, 2023

Historical context

My own education left me completely confused and mistrustful of the adults in my society. When I became a teacher, I was again very disillusioned by the approach to teaching by my senior peers, most of who were there without any passion and focused on examination alone. My students dreaded maths, wanted to excel in it only for it was socially an elite subject and hence my efforts to focus on creative ways of teach were met well however not to the extent that I wished for.

Hence I moved to progressive education field, although it meant for a while a big dip in my earnings, and found the space to explore the meaning of education that felt personal to me.

My Philosophy

“The teaching design that I have created, to make the shift in the Maths classes, has two such aspects—The Inside and The Outside”, (Kochar, 2011, para.3). I call it HumaneMaths.

“The inside approach refers to the attitude of the teacher. It is the ‘connect’ that the teacher has with the students”, (Kochar, 2011, para.4). We have four “…basic psychological needs—for emotional and physical safety; for close, supportive relationships—a sense of “connectedness” (Resnick et al., 1997) or “belongingness” (Baumeister & Leary, 1995); for autonomy, or a say in what happens to us; and for a sense of competence—a belief that we are capable people and able to learn”, (Schaps, n.d.). The inner part of education is when the teacher stretches all her boundaries to build a positive connect with the students.

“The outside approach is the curriculum in Maths designed by the teacher”, (Kochar, 2011, para.p). In my view it should be focused on building a sense of self-empowerment in the students by keeping the intent as developing skills and values.

This would be done by developing classroom experiences that require the students to work in collaboration with others, explore applications of the subject, write research papers and be a reflective student. “In a rapidly changing world, the ability to be engaged citizens and collaborative problem solvers who are ready for the workforce is essential” (What Is Global Competence, n.d., para.2).

Teacher Role

To accomplish this, we need teachers who are continuous learners, both for the inner and outer space of the curriculum. These would be teachers who would grow deeper into discovering their true selves, hence removing boundaries that separate us as individuals. They would work towards being mindful of their own cultural barriers in accepting all students.

Externally they would be continuous learners, expanding their knowledge of skills to teach their subject and manage their classrooms. They would be reflective learners with a approach of growth mind-set towards their own efforts.

School’s Role

None of this is possible unless the school does not see teachers as growing learners. One of the schools where I learnt a lot had the head of school say often, “teachers are our best resources”. Needless to say, we all had the space to grow and be better teachers through the years. Such schools expand the notion of differentiation for teachers too and would not have a one size fits all approach for teaching methods. Teachers would have a ‘backpack of tools’ to teach and would be free to use them in the class as the context requires it. Their classes would be learner centric.

Social set up

The social set up, that comes through in a school via the parents, can push or pull the educative philosophy either way. One needs for my philosophy to be practiced, parents who believe that each child has a genius, just not in the same space. They would be parents who would be involved in the whole space of parenting by giving an emotionally safe zone for the children. To engage them further and build a community that includes them, the schools would have constant sessions for dialogue with parents.

Integration

The chief reason for my vision in education is the whole approach of social pressure for education for job, money and a house does not feel right. Education needs to be the crucible in which both the teacher and student find a space to find themselves. Their strengths, limitations and their driving force in life. It is a space for discovery and hence requires a smaller number of students, a loosely structured curriculum, positive attitude to mistakes and social acceptance of all kinds of individuals.

It also requires a belief system that “The purpose of schooling is to prepare students for life in the real world in their communities and societies, both in the present—while students are in school—and in the future—after they leave school behind” (Reimers, n.d.).

The world is changing. We are moving to a world where there is a flatness brought about from migration and internet. The chief contemporary issue is grounding in one’s own sense of self and a global mind-set. Reimers (2009) defined global competence as “the attitudinal and ethical dispositions that make it possible to interact peacefully, respectfully, and productively with fellow human beings from diverse geographies.