Eight Theories Behind the World of Teaching

The eight different theories that fall alongside the different philosophies are as follows. Essentialism disctates that there is a central set of information that everyone should be taught and should know in order to functionin society. Behaviorism says that one's actions depend on environment not upon genetic make up and heredity. Positivism says that laws of matter and motion dictate everything, therefore spirituality and consciousness are null and void. Progressivism encourages student freedom and inquiry. Humanism looks to better the individual and contemplates goodness of each person. Constructivism looks at what things mean to the individual through experience and how experiences relate to life. Perennialism dictates that there is a set of important topics that should be understood by all. Reconstuctivists attempt to pass on a culture while adapting it for future generations. We as teachers tend to be either teacher-centered or student-centered. Teacher-centered philosophies such as behaviorism, positivism, and essentialism, are highly focused on controlling what students learn, how they learn it, and the procedures that should occur in the classroom. Student-centered philiosophies such as progressivism, humanism, and constructivism, however, place greater importance upon the meanings that students take away from what they learn and how they can apply it to their own life.

In my own opinion, I feel that I am far more student centered in my philosophy. I feel that while it is my job to choose what students will be learning, it is also my job to apply it all to their lives and make it meaningful to them. When students feel disconnected from what they are learning it makes learning seem trivial. Students that feel as though they are being taught something "because the teacher said so" will take far less from what they learn. Due to my opinions, I feel that I am a foremost constructivist. Following this, I would say that I also hold true to humanistic philosophy as well as those applying to the progressive side of things. I feel that these philosophies all hearken to what I want to instill and uphold in my classroom. When students have the freedom to explore within a subject, it becomes easier for them to construct personal meaning and be motivated to continue learning whether in a hands on way, or in a traditional setting.