GOFREDO, Ramil R.

Holy Name University

Philosophy of Education – A Reflection Essay on Essentialism
Drs. Pabalan

A teacher with a five – year experience in a classroom setting, I have often heard students
calling names. Students complained about the teachers, personal problems and academic
paperwork. Classmates bullied each other. I saw a lot of fistfights and arguments. Seatmates
tried to cheat during exams. I noticed how unbroken silence had meant when students made
some mischief and something went wrong.

Often, I have visioned that Filipino students behave well and that they listen to the teacher
attentively. Whenever I come to a classroom, I see to it that they can be ready for learning
because classroom management precedes and is a prerequisite for learning. Hence, there can
be many ways for learning to take place. With ESSENTIALISM taken into account, the teacher
has to be the center to effectuate change, not to terrorize students.

The first thing for the teacher to do would be calm emotions. The teacher, however, must do
self-calming in the first place. Self-calmness can radiate to students and will reciprocate
calmness. As soon as the teacher is in front of a class, they should forget and leave their
domestic problems behind. The class hours should never be taken away or even shared with
teachers’ display of emotions. As to the making the learner’s emotions, either an opening
prayer or a lively action song, serving as an energizer, could do the trick. In addition, they could
be thought as separate individuals with unique scholastic needs

Secondly, accepting responsibility on the part of the teacher can be reassuring. Essentialism as
a teacher-centered philosophy entails great power, but with this comes a great array of
consequences. Be it small or big. Gone are the days that teachers acted as second parents, who
could do spanking with parents consenting. Nowadays even putting a hand on the child’s cheek
would mean a crime if the child says it is to the police. Hence, the teacher could find it hard to
discipline.

Essentialism is still needed in the modern education despite many restrictions and limitations
set by laws, protecting the child. I would say that the philosophy has been paralyzed in its
meaningful purpose – to replicate the greatest thinkers of the past for the future. With
students becoming domineering and independent of the teachers, with governments putting
emphasis on students’ welfare and with some parents’ tolerating and neglecting their duties
and responsibilities of teaching their children the basic good manners, teachers may find
themselves bound and discover new ways to properly and legally deal with their learners and
their parents as well.
GOFREDO, Ramil R.
Holy Name University
Philosophies on Education – A Reflection Essay on the Video, The key to success? Grit
Drs. Pabalan

Professor Angela Lee Duckworth described grit as, "perseverance and passion for long-term
goals. Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over
years despite failure, adversity and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches
achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina.

This YouTube TEDTALK speech, The key to success? Grit, has shed some light on Intelligence
Quotient (IQ) role in academic achievement and success. Most teachers and parents alike
consider IQ as the prime factor and driver in this regard. In learning institutions of today, there
has been significant emphasis laid on the intelligence tests to search out the crème of the crop
as heavily influenced and dictated by the business world. Hence, many a student does not give
a one more try or not push themselves to do the best they can do if an instance, even a single
one, of failure comes their way.

The speech has further strengthened the claim set by the theory on Multiple Intelligence,
stating that everyone all over the world is stronger in one area than in the other. So long as
they have the burning passion and keen interest in their endeavor, and so long as they do not
give up, success can be over the horizon. Let me take my former colleague as an example. She
was not that smart. She was perseverant and arduous, however. She managed to top our
company’s monthly exam and be the best teacher of the year after a lot of months of biting the
dust. When she was interviewed, she shared that she discovered herself a strategy, which
taught her some recurring patterns, and that she mastered this until it worked out well for her.

The speech has also had a tremendous impact on my professional career. Influenced by Angela
Lee Duckworth’s witty ideas, I can now feel I have improved with my dealing with slow
students. I learned to patiently slow down my lesson, taking individualized instruction into
consideration. I even repeat the unlearned and difficult concepts. My patience has a positive
effect on my students’ learning, too. The students have learned the values of patience and
perseverance in effect.

The good thing is that people like her and organizations like TEDTALK keeping on reminding and
further reminding teachers to take some positive action and innovate the old ways of
encouraging students to improve their intellectual aspect. The talk has indeed thrown the
people old thinking about school success, giving hope, courage and an unprecedented
academic reward for those who might be struggling and looked down. The talk furthers may
overthrow the previous research and claims about academic performance.
GOFREDO, Ramil R.
Holy Name University
Philosophy of Education – A Reflection Essay on Existentialism
Drs. Pabalan

I would say many students have misconception on this educational philosophy. I, for one, used
to have such a negative idea about it. Let me roll out the misconceived points. The first concept
connected with this would be human free will. This has wastefully and wrongfully been used.
Students, after realizing what they truly can do and fulfilling their inner desires, could just
forget the consequences no matter who they hurt and how they achieve their whims.
Regretfully, negative outcomes may haunt them. I have been reminded of a friend of mine. He
has been a soccer coach for quite some time now. Never in his wildest dreams could he imagine
he would face a dilemma in his entire life, however. The scenario in which he was in was that
three of the best players were disqualified; he could let them play or go on with the remaining
members of the team. Though he foresaw an impending defeat, he went for the latter. For this,
I salute my friend for following his conscience and for doing what was right then. Therefore, my
friend is an exemplar and embodiment of human free will. The truth should be that human
nature is chosen through a full of wise choices.

The next concept held as a misunderstanding is that wealth, pleasure or honor makes a happy
and good life. Many a student opt not to absent themselves from school