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AlexandraMazur
TTE350Sec2
29April2014
PhilosophyPaper
Iamasocialreconstructiveprogressivistwithafewfacetsofperennialism.Iwantmy
futurestudentstolearnaboutthemselves,theworld,thegood,thebad,andthecurriculum.My
socialreconstructivismisbasedontheindividual;Iwantstudentstofindwhattheycareabout
andfightforit.Myprogressivismisbasedinthatweallhavedifferentbeliefs,ideas,and
passionsashumans;andthatstudentsshouldnotbeshelteredfromwhattheworldhastooffer.
ThefacetsofperennialismthatIagreewitharethattherearethemesandquestionsthat[are]
asmeaningfultodayaswhentheywerefirstwritten,(Sadker81).Thesethreephilosophies
workwelltogetherbecausetheyallarecenteredonthestudent(perennialismisteachercentered
butIplanonlettingthestudentsinteractwiththeproposedclassics)andIplanonlettingthe
studentsfindwhattheybelievetobeimportantsothattheycantailorthecurriculumtotheir
interest.
AsasocialreconstuctivistIamfascinatedwiththeideaofreconstruct[ing]societyintoa
newandmorejustsocialorder,(Sadker84).Ihopetoencouragemystudentstorealizethe
inequitiesinoursociety;andhelpthemtofindwaystoresolvetheproblemstheyfind.Manyof
thesocialproblemsthatarepresenttodayarefrompeoplenotknowingthefacts.Ifourstudents
areeducatedenoughandaretaughthowtofindanswersthenmanyoftheseproblemscouldbe
eradicated.Ibelievethateverythingdoneintheclassroomshouldhaveareasonandsoifthe
studentsareresearchingatopicIwantthemtobeinvestedinthattopic;Iaspireforthemtowant
todosomethingmorethanjustresearch.PauloFreireisanamazingrolemodelforsocial

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reconstuctivistsbecauseheencapsulatestheideathattheschoolshouldbeacatalystforsocial
changeinsteadofaconfirminginstitution.Freirewasanadvocateoflearninginschool,notof
thecurrentbankingsystem,whereknowledgeispasseddownfromtheteachertothestudent;
becausethestudenthasnopriorknowledge.Thisideaofthefundsofknowledgeofastudent
isincrediblyimportanttoschooling,andyethighlyunderrated.Astudentsfundsofknowledge
canhelpthemfindsomethingtheyarepassionateabout,andinturnteacherscanhelpfigureout
howtoaccommodatethecurriculumtowhatthestudentsalreadyknowandarepassionateabout.
Myprogressivismstemsfrommybeliefthatschoolshouldpertaintotherealworldand
notjustthetestsandassignmentsthatarerequired.Iconsidercriticalthinkingtobethemost
valuableelementinlife(besideswater)andIaimtomakecriticalthinkingastandardinmy
classroom.Iaimtoletmystudentsflourish,andstudentsdonotflourishwhenkepttoan
industrialinspiredschedule.Ihopethatmystudentsareabletousealloftheirknowledgeinthe
classroomatalltimes;nottobeconstrainedtoonesubjectatatime.Studentsshouldbeableto
makeconnectionsbetweenliterature,history,math,andsciencebecausetheyareinterrelated.
StudentsbringawealthofideasintotheclassroomandasaprogressivistIaimtohelpthemfind
whatworksinadvancingtheireducationandgainingknowledge.Althoughprogressivistsdo
notbelievethatthemindcanbedisciplinedthroughreadingGreatBooks,ratherthatthemind
shouldbetrainedtoanalyzeexperiencethoughtfullyanddrawconclusionsobjectively,I
believethattheGreatbookscanaddsubstanceandmeaningtocertainsituations,andthat
importantquestionscanbeaddressedcriticallyafterreadingthem.
Idisagreewithalotofwhatthetraditionalteachercenteredphilosophyofperennialism
saysbut,IplanonadoptingthefacetsIagreewithtoenhancemyfuturestudentsclassroom

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experience.Idobelievethattherearecertainenduringthemesthatcanbestudiedinwhatare
consideredthegreatbooksbut,thatstudentsshouldbeabletousethebookstoaddtotheir
comprehensiveknowledge,notbasetheirknowledgesolelyonthosebooks(Sadker81).Ido
considerthegoalofeducation[tobe]todeveloprationalthoughtandtodisciplinemindsto
thinkrigorously,butdonotthinkthatacertainsetofbookscouldeverdothatalone(Sadker
81).Ihopetousethegreatbooksinthecurriculumtohelpstudentsfindotherviewpointsto
beskepticalofandseethedifferentworldviewsthathaveflourishedasacauseofthesebooks.I
dorecognizereading,writing,andarithmeticasincrediblyimportantforstudents,butnotforthe
moralreasonsofatraditionalperennialists.Reading,writing,andarithmeticareimperativeto
functioningasaneducatedindividualbecausewithoutreadingorwriting,learningonyourown
isnearlyimpossible.AnotheraspectofperennialismthatIdisagreewithisthatelectivesare
unnecessary;Iholdelectivesinhighregardbecausestudentsneedtoexpressthemselvesandtry
newthings.IdoagreethatasateacherIshouldbeadiscussionseminarleader[s]and
facilitator[s],butthatthosediscussionsshouldincludemorethanjustliterature(Sadker81).
AlsoincontrasttomostperennialistsIthinkdiversityisincrediblyimportantandthe
representationofasmanygroupsaspossibleisimportantbecausewhatstudentsdontlearn
aboutcanbiashowtheythinkaboutthings.
MyeducationalphilosophyisamixofwhatIbelievetobethebestaspectsofdifferent
philosophies.Mysocialreconstructivismstemsfrommywantforabetterlessignorantworld.
Progressivismismyattempttonurturethecriticalthinkingskillsallhumansarebornwithand
yetloosesomewherealongtheway.Andmyperennialtendenciesaremyhopetohavean
educatedandliteratesocietythatcanhaveeducatedconversations.Ihopetofostermyfuture

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studentstobecriticaloftheworldaroundthemaswellastohavetheresourcesandskillstofind
theanswersthatareavailableorsolvetheproblemsthatneedtobesolved.

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WorksCited
Sadker,David.Teachers,Schools,andSociety.Customed.NewYork:McGrawHill,n.d.Print.