Growing up, I always went to a traditional public school. This consisted of sitting at a desk, listening, and doing the occasional group activity. I think that most of the time, my schools revolve around the ideas of “Essentialism” and “Perennialism” which focuses primarily on the essential subjects, such as math and reading, as well as “perennial” knowledge that has been passed down for generations. In school, I remember how exciting it was when we did something out of the ordinary such as having class outside or going to the library to pick out whatever book we wanted. Moments like these made me love to learn and are things that I wished were incorporated more often into the average school day. I think that these factors were definitely influenced by my teacher’s personal teaching philosophies. Each year I had a different teacher, making each year and the way that we learned things differently every time. It is interesting to look back and see how certain teachers incorporated certain aspects of learning more or less than others. In my future classroom, I want to incorporate more of the activities that made me love learning as a child. I want to allow my students to explore within their learning and make learning fun, which I think is essential. I think that our philosophies as teachers can definitely impact and influence schooling and I think it is important to encourage teachers’ individuality and to promote different teaching and learning styles in school.
Hi Lauren!
ReplyDeleteI completely relate to your personal experience in school. Most of my educational career consisted of sitting at a desk fighting to stay focussed on a lecture that seemed to drag out for hours. There was minimal opportunity for socialization or physical movement, both of which are crucial for children and adolescents. Much of the material I learned throughout school went in one ear and right out of the other, having been presented in a way that was entirely uninteresting or memorable. Some of my best educational memories come from the short time I spent at a Montesouri school. The activities and lessons were extremely individualized, interactive, and hands on. The teaching methods were drastically different from those I experienced in the rest of my academic career. I loved being able to work with the material in a way that was visual and stimulating. I truly wish more of my curriculum had been explored in a way that was creative rather than uninteresting.