A realm of philosophy

  A Realm of Philosophy: Exploring the Ways in which We Learn Together

    In my life I have been fortunate enough to have an inherent interest in education, a natural aptitude for learning and an enthusiasm for the pursuit of success in all of my endeavors.  Even though I have spent years of my life farming, engaging in a career that doesn’t at first seem to relate to institutional learning, my time working the land has led me to explore natural ways of integrating information and technique, and has been invaluable to me in the formation of my educational philosophies.  As a person about to enter a teaching job in a low-income Native American Indian Reservation, I am lucky to have a body of experience not only in formal education but in practical and real life education relating to the health of the earth.  Being exposed to the different philosophies of education has broadened both my perception of education in general and my concept of who I am becoming in my new role as an educator.
  Throughout my K-12 education, I was exposed to both good and bad models of teaching.  I had many inspiring and enthusiastic teachers, but unfortunately, I was also taught by some I viewed strictly as morose and stifling authority figures.  My experiences in school have been coming back to me recently as I ponder the methods I will employ to most effectively convey the “book-smarts” I am required to teach, as well as the social intelligence required to get along effectively in this world.  In particular (since I recently signed a contract to teach math for the upcoming school year), I have been revisiting the teachings of both my algebra teacher Mr. W and my geometry teacher Mrs. P.  Mr. W had a caring and personable relationship with the students, and his classroom emanated functionality and inspiration.  Mrs. P, however, left the impression of a crabby classroom dictator, who maintained a dreary educational aesthetic and used the fear of punishment as a primary motivation for classroom management.  I am not surprised to recall I received an A grade in Mr. W’s class, while scraping by in Mrs. P’s class with a C.  Mr. W helped me foster an enthusiasm for the subject at hand, and provided a learning space to feel comfortable acquiring such knowledge.  Although I am embarking on a new journey to become a math teacher, I recently spent close to a decade as an organic farmer, a trade I selected in part because I felt it was ethically valid.  I have tried to build a bridge between that career and my new career as an educator by imagining myself with the intention of cultivating the social and educational habits required by students to learn and grow effectively.  As Kwak (2012) outlines in Chapter 3 of his Education for Self-Transformation, “Only when we infinitely concentrate ourselves in order to be ethical, might there be a chance to have an effect on others” (p.41).  It is with this mantra that I hope to bring my moral convictions out of the fields and into the classrooms.
  Upon learning that my most resonant educational philosophies were progressivism and existentialism (Sadker & Sadker, 1997 pg.5), I decided to apply those enthusiasms to the fact that I will be teaching in a reservation with low income students.  In browsing A Call to Action: An introduction to education, philosophy, and native North America (Malott, 2007) , I read that “Our biggest challenge as educators is engaging the students we have the privilege of working with” (pg. 27).  As a non-native, I feel like I am privileged to share in the educational journey of the native student.  I also believe this acknowledged privilege has shaped why perennialism and essentialism were two of my lower ranked philosophies in the EPS (Educational Philosophy Survey) (Sadker & Sadker, 1997 pg.5).  As most people who live in an area populated with Native Americans seem to be aware, there is a natural resistance among the indigenous people to western culture and civilization - which would discourage me from focusing too heavily on philosophies that revisit the painful history of western colonialism.  I maintain that empowering the students to make responsible choices and providing a motivation for self-direction will end up being among the more powerful tools I craft while teaching in this unique environment. 
  In conclusion, this exposure to the five plus outlined philosophies of education has led me to pursue with keen interest finding methods toward forging an individualized philosophy based on my unique circumstances.  While browsing some reference material, I was inspired to maintain my moral convictions, especially since accepting the honor of teaching in an underprivileged and predominantly Native American school system.  Taking the time to reflect on the experiences that shaped me (both positive and negative) has expanded my perspective in relation to the philosophies I have been exposed to, and has amplified my enthusiasm for my first year in the classroom.  I am excited to integrate a multitude of ideals into my educational approach, and ultimately create a unique philosophy based on my goals and convictions, and those of the students I am lucky enough to be teaching.

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References

Joo Kwak, D., & Ebrary, Inc. (2012). Education for self-transformation: Essay form as an educational practice (Contemporary philosophies and theories in education ; v. 3). New York: Springer. Retrieved from https://primo-tc-na01.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/

Malott, C. (2007). A call to action: An introduction to education, philosophy, and native North America (Counterpoints (New York, N.Y.) ; v. 324). New York: Peter Lang. Retrieved from https://primo-tc-na01.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/

Paiz, J., Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M.,…Keck, R. (2010, May 5). APA General format. Retrieved July 9th 2018 from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Sadker, M.P. & Sadker, D. S. (1997). Teachers, schools and society (4th ed., pp. 403-405.)  NY:  McGraw Hill.