PHILOSOPHIES OF EDUCATION

1. Essentialism
a. Why Teach?
 This philosophy contends that teachers teach learners to acquire basic
knowledge, skills and values.
 To transmit the traditional and moral values and intellectual knowledge
that students need to become model citizens.
b. What to Teach?
 Programs are academically rigorous.
 The basic skill or the fundamental R’s – Reading, Riting, Rithmetic,
Right Conduct needed ion the preparation for adult life.
 Curriculum includes traditional discipline – Math, Science, History,
Foreign Languages and Literature.
c. How to Teach?
 Essentialist teacher emphasize mastery of subject matter. They are
expected to be intellectual and moral models of their students.
 Teachers fountain of information and paragon of virtue.
 Teachers observe “ core requirements, longer school days, and a
longer academic year”
 Rely heavily on the use of prescribed textbooks.
 Heavily stress on memorization and discipline.
2. Progressivism ( Pragmatism or Experimentalism)
a. Why Teach?
 Progressivist teachers teach develop learners into becoming
enlightened and intelligent citizens of a democratic society.
 They teach learners so they may live fully NOW not to prepare them
for adult life.
b. What to Teach?
 Need-based and relevant curriculum. This is a curriculum that
“responds to students” needs and that relates to students’ personal
lives and experiences.
 More concern with teaching the learners the skills to cope change.
Change is the only thing that does not change.
 Give emphasis on natural and social sciences. Teachers expose
students to many new scientific technological and social
developments, reflecting the progressivist notion that progress and
change are fundamental.
 Give focus to teaching of skills or process in gathering and evaluating
information and in problem solving.
c. How to teach?
 Progressivist teachers employ experiential methods. The believe that
one “learns by doing”. ( John Dewey)
  Heavily rely on the problem-solving method make use of scientific
method.
 Hands-on minds-on teaching methodology ( e.g. field trips during
which students interact with nature or society) ].
 Teachers also stimulate students through thought provoking games
and puzzles.
3. Perennialism
a. Why Teach?
 To develop the students’ moral and rational powers.
 Belief ion the primacy of reason and in the human’s ability to make
rational judgments about the goodness of things. ( Adler and Hutchins)
b. What to Teach?
 The perennialist curriculum is a universal one on the view that all
human beings possess the same essential nature.
 Heavily rely on the humanities, general education. Less emphasis on
vocational and technical education.
 What the perennialist teachers teach are lifted from the Great Books.
c. How to Teach?
 The perennialist classrooms are “centered around teachers”. The
teachers do not allow the students’ interest or experiences to
substantially dictate what they teach. They apply whatever creative
techniques and other tried and true methods which are believed to be
most conducive to disciplining the students’ minds.
 Students engaged in Socratic dialogues or mutual inquiry sessions to
develop an understanding of history’s most timeless concepts.
4. Existentialist
a. Why Teach?
 To help students understand and appreciate themselves as unique
individual who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts,
feelings and actions.
 To help students define their own essence by exposing them to various
paths.
 Education of the whole person, not just the mind.
b. What to Teach?
 Students are given a wide variety of options from which they to
choose.
 Tremendous emphasis is given to Humanities to provide students with
vicarious experiences that will help unleash their own creativity and
self- expression.
 Vocational education is regarded more to teach students about
themselves and their potentials.
 In the arts, students are 1encouraged to practice individual creativity
and imagination.
 c. How to Teach?
 Focuses on the individual.
 Learning is self-paced, self-directed.
 Great deal of individual contact with the teacher.
 Teachers remain non-judgmental and take care not to impose their
values on the students; since values are personal.
5. Behaviorism
a. Why Teach?
 Students’ behavior is a product of his environment.
 Modification and shaping of students’ behavior by providing a favorable
environment.
b. What to Teach?
 Teach students to respond favorably to various stimuli in the
environment.
 Look other people and animal as complex combination of matter that
act only in response to internally or externally physical stimuli.
c. How to Teach?
 Arranges environmental conditions so that students can make the
responses to stimuli.
 Ought to make the stimuli clear and interesting to capture and hold the
learners’ attention.
 Ought to provide appropriate incentives to reinforce positive responses
to awaken or eliminate negative ones.
Pre Activity
1. Why do you consider teaching as a valuable career?
In our society, we come across doctors, engineers, accountant, and many
other professions and these professions may not exist without teaching or
teachers. Nevertheless, teaching I believe is the most important profession in the
world. How else can we continue to develop in such a technical world, or in any
other way for that matter without teacher or teaching? Teachers are nation
builders- the strength of every profession in our country grows out of knowledge
and skills , they have the capacity to shape the minds and futures of many - and
they do so at all kinds of critical life stages. They have the ability to shape
leaders of the future in the best way for society to build positive and inspired
future generations and therefore design society, both on a local and global scale.
In reality, teachers have the most important job in the world. Those who have an
impact on the children of society have the power to change lives. Not just for
those children themselves, but for the lives of all.
On the other hand, education is a fundamental aspect in the development
of a country. If the youth of a society is educated, a future is born. Teachers
 provide the education that improves quality of life, therefore bringing so much to
both individuals and society as a whole.
Thus, each career and the future of our country depend importantly on the
work of armies of teachers who ultimately are those in society who with people
teaching and there is nothing more important than that.

2. What do you do to help students/ subordinates learn and develop as individual?

The school and we teachers play vital roles in the lives of the students inside
the classrooms. An important role to help learners to learn and develop as
individual. Student that are placed under our care, wherein we are obliged to
provide them the necessary knowledge and skills they needed to deal with life, to
fully transform as an independent learner.
Based from my experience, what I usually do to help my students to
encourage and motivate them to learn more. First, I always conduct remedial
classes, to cope with their gaps and difficulties. Conducting remedial classes can
help them catch up to their lessons. Second, hands on activities, and real life
related activities. As social studies, major one of the top reasons students
struggle in learning the subject is that they are bored. It is not that they cannot
comprehend the information or grasp the lessons — it is that lessons are not
presented in an interesting enough way to care. Hands-on learning activities
helps students to not only pay attention, but to actually connect with and enjoy
what they learn. This will allows them to directly take on board and understand
what is happening, or how to do something. On the other hand, providing real life
related activities could greatly help students easily understand and get connected
to the subjects as well as to the lesson itself so it is important to demonstrate
how the subject relates to them too.
Lastly, I always adhere and encourage open communication and freethinking
with to make them feel important. We should always be enthusiastic. I always
praise my students often and recognize them for their accomplishments and
contributions. This will motivate them more to learn, boost their morale, and could
help them build their self-esteem, more confidence to be the best version of their
self. I believe a friendly place where students feel heard and respected, they will
be more eager to learn. A “good job” or “nice work” can go a long way.
Most importantly, a good teacher will not only provide new information but
also inspire students to stretch beyond and reach for a whole body of knowledge.
3. How do you feel when learning occurs to your students?
I believe learning occurs when every time my students get or share
knowledge, were able to apply those values and skills they learned in the
teaching-learning process and beyond classroom. When they are able to
participate and collaborate actively with their fellow students. When they are able
 to converse and exchange ideas through meaningful discussions. In addition, it is
the most rewarding, seeing the evidence that learning takes positively that I have
made an impact to my students or simply because I am an effective teacher.
On the other hand, I am more than happy when learning occurs to my
students; I am very grateful and glad to see that they have learned something
from me. Seeing your students improved or learned is a great accomplishment
for me as a teacher, because I know myself that I did everything, my duty and
responsibility to give them what they deserve- that is to teach them with the skills,
knowledge and most importantly, the values they needed to deal with life and
become a fully-grown independent learner.
As teachers, we are obliged to teach and nurture every students. We
should not seek for rewards and praises. Sometimes, we may not physically see
appreciation and the impact we have made to our students knowing that it really
happens. This should drive us to be more responsible and be the best teacher
we can be to ourselves, our school community, and to our dear students.
4. What are the obstacles learners’ faces and how do you help them overcome
these difficulties?
One of the most difficult aspects of becoming a teacher is learning how to
help and encourage your students overcome difficulties. It is also one of the most
important. Students who are dealing with struggles will not learn effectively. They
will not retain information, they will not participate and some of them may even
become disruptive. A student may be unmotivated for a variety of reasons and
difficulties they are experiencing: They may feel that they have no interest in the
subject, find the teacher’s methods un-engaging or distracted by external forces.
I was a substitute teacher at the same time a class adviser before; one of
the most rampant issues I need to address is my failing students coming from my
class. I have at least three students who always got failing grades in almost
subjects and this is caused by many reasons or factors after I got to talked with
them and their parents. Two boys and one girl. The girl always got absent even
late from her classes, but she has complete attendance when it comes to my
class. When I was able to talk with her parents, I found out that she is lying as
she always tells them she goes to school every day. Eventually, she made a
promise with me together with her parents to come to class every day and as
early as possible. Her teachers from her failing subjects requires her for an
alternative projects to cope with her final grades.
On the other hand, the two boys always got absent too sometimes they
come to class late or they’re fond of cutting classes or simply escaping. In
addition, they come to class without having notebooks or ball pen; they just
simply sat at the back enjoying chewing “momma”.
 One important mechanism or an intervention I did was, I conducted a
“home visit”. I found out that they come to school regularly but they are not
attending their classes, that’s why we come to an agreement together with their
parents that if once they got absent for the succeeding two weeks we are forced
to drop or remove them from the school and transfer to another school.
Fortunately, I was very thankful because they did not disappoint me, they kept
their promise to come to school every day, that they will participate with all the
activities inside the class. Eventually, that practiced lasts until the end of the
school year.
Visiting the homes of our students is very important in knowing to support
them and encouraging them to learn as teachers and parents have a big role to
help students engage in school learning environment. Home visit is a way to
bridge the gap between school and home for our students and teachers most
especially our students who are academically at-risk to monitor their
performances and daily classroom behavior.
5. How do your personal characteristics and approach to teaching/management
impact your learners/subordinates?
I have often thought that it is who we are that most powerfully influences
our teaching. But never have been given much thought to which characteristics in
particular influence our teaching either positively or negatively.
I think one of the most important characteristic a teacher should have is
the capacity to support their students in their learning process and prepare them
for life. Support them means to me study my students  with  special attention,
listening to them, assessing their specific needs , caring and respecting them as
human beings and being open, demanding  and flexible enough to adapt myself 
to new changes most especially in today’s 21 st century education. I believe that
our ability to be flexible as teacher provides the student with the realization that
we support them and not just have demands made without providing the critical
support they need to grow. I have found that many students who are scared to
ask questions or participate are those students who lack support from their
parents or family based from my experience as a student teacher at Tabuk City
National High School. That is why we should always teach with human heart with
great compassion. I worked to help avoid that feeling of isolation and that they
are just doers and cannot ask questions. There are those who will take you up on
your offer of support and others who remain in isolation.
The worlds have changed, the way we teach have changed too. 
However, there is something never could change. We should always treat our
students with utmost respect. We should remain as a role model to them.
On the other hand, I am a demanding teacher, which is the most
remarkable word my students used to call me; they even labeled me as
“demanding” we can imagine this as negative. But for me, these has positive
impact regarding classroom management and the learning of my students. I have
 seen the positive outcome to them; they participate actively in the teaching-
learning process. I have sets certain learning standard that my students should
achieve, however if they may not I always provide them options or alternative
activities.
 As teachers, we have the obligation to help pave the way for knowledge
via concrete explanations of what we are expecting. Those who try to add twists
to the already difficult path wind up with resentful students who are there to "get it
over with" and not to learn. I would rather have a student who learned the
material than just memorized it for a grade.
Reflections
1. What philosophies of education our school adhere to?
Philosophy is the foundation of knowledge and it is the theory about
education. Education is the practical component of this theory because of its
relationship philosophy is foundational in all aspects of education
On the other hand, as outlined in the Vision and Mission of the school,
Kalinga State University espoused a very high adherence to progressivism
educational philosophy.
Progressivism as educational philosophy captures the belief that students
manifest meaningful learning when they are actively involved in learning activities
that they have interest with. Actual and experiential learning are important to
develop individual learners’ creativity and imagination. This philosophy
emphasizes the different learning styles and dispositions of students, their
multiple intelligences and individual learning preferences. The curriculum in this
philosophy shows dynamism and relevance to the needs of the society.
When it comes to its educational curriculum and standard, true to its vision
as a knowledge and technology hub in Asia-Pacific region, KSU maintain and
continue to provide advanced and relevant education that is in accordance with
the current trend of education. They have invested to modern instructional
materials and other learning resources as well as state of the art facilities that
support student learning and the needs of the learner.
Based from my experiences as education student before, I am proud to
say that my instructors and professors adhere to progressivism educational
philosophy. They used different and varied learning strategies in teaching
supported with the different learning resources. They also allow us to indulge into
research. I was also given the chance to experience and explore beyond the
classroom through community immersion and field study work to different
schools.
In addition, I was at my third year college when we were given the
opportunity to organize a 3-day Seminar/Workshop on Interactive Task-Based
Teaching Strategies across Disciplines. The purpose of the seminar is to provide
 and equip future teachers of Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED) with
different Learner-centered Strategies and Techniques and Assessment tools in
teaching to respond to the current trends of global Education and to meet the
demands of the ASEAN integration.
Lastly, my experiences as students would not be more meaningful and
relevant without the full support of my instructors and professors and most
especially the school supported, with its educational philosophies.

2. What are the influences of the following traditional philosophies in our

educational practices today?
One of the influences of traditional philosophies in our educational practices
today includes what subjects or topics are taught, how they are taught, and perhaps
more importantly, the supporting beliefs and values that are taught, both implicitly
and explicitly, within and around the core curriculum. Our classroom pedagogy is
also influence by traditional philosophies. Our approaches, strategies and methods
in delivering our lessons, to cultivate, nurture, sustain and indeed transform learners.
On the other hand, pedagogy encompasses the goals, the professional
knowledge and beliefs, the selection of curriculum, the design of learning, the
classroom organization, the teaching and learning strategies, the style of lesson
delivery, the nature of student interaction, the forms of control and discipline, and the
methods of assessment chosen by the teacher and enacted in the classroom.
For example, Socratic Method, is one of the most important and effective
teaching strategy we used until today based on asking and answering questions to
stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions of
the students is originated or introduced by Socrates.
The “Socratic method” of questioning began a tradition in which reasoning and
the search for reasons that might justify beliefs, judgments, and actions was
fundamental; such questioning in turn eventually gave rise to the view that education
should encourage in all students and persons, to the greatest extent possible, the
pursuit of the life of reason. This view of the central place of reason in education has
been shared by most of the major figures in the history of philosophy of education,
despite the otherwise substantial differences in their other philosophical views.
Socrates’ student Plato endorsed that view and held that a fundamental task of
education is that of helping students to value reason and to be reasonable, which for
him involved valuing wisdom above pleasure, honour, and other less-worthy
pursuits. In his dialogue Republic he set out a vision of education in which different
groups of students would receive different sorts of education, depending on their
abilities, interests, and stations in life. His utopian vision has been seen by many to
be a precursor of what has come to be called educational “sorting.” Millennia later,
the American pragmatist philosopher John Dewey (1859–1952) argued that
education should be tailored to the individual child, though he rejected Plato’s
hierarchical sorting of students into categories.
Plato’s student Aristotle also took the highest aim of education to be the fostering
of good judgment or wisdom, but he was more optimistic than Plato about the ability
of the typical student to achieve it. He also emphasized the fostering of moral virtue
and the development of character; his emphasis on virtue and his insistence that
virtues develop in the context of community-guided practice—and that the rights and
interests of individual citizens do not always outweigh those of the community—are
reflected in contemporary interest in “virtue theory” in ethics and “communitarianism”
in political philosophy.
3. What is your greatest achievement in life as an educator/ administrator? Is this
achievement guided by your philosophy in life as a person?
Teaching and developing individuals reading skills in students is one of
the key goals of every early education program. It is through reading that
students expand their vocabulary and learn about the world. Reading is also the
key to success in spelling and writing. In addition, it is also the most challenging
but fulfilling task that every teachers need to handle.
On the other hand, before this pandemic, I have worked in a private
international school based in Baguio city, handling or catering student/ pupils
from both local and foreign whether in a physical classroom and through online.
One of our primary task is to teach children the basic reading skills. We spent
eight hours a day teaching them from the basic letter sounds to syllabications. It
is a very challenging being a secondary graduate is different compared to an
elementary graduate when it comes to handling and managing children has to
learn. My training is far different, I am not used or exposed to such learning
environment dealing with children particularly primary school, but I need to be
flexible enough to adjust and adapt myself to what is now my new environment.
Fortunately,  I would have to say that my greatest achievement as
educator was my experienced of teaching or helping them how to read, in which
they cannot read in the beginning of the year and seeing them, progress to
sounding out words and eventually being able to read independently. It is also a
great source of satisfaction that I made an impact on their lives as children or as
individual. Reading is a very important skill every children or person should have
or possesses. Without these skills, children will struggle to grow academically as
reading is the foundation to all academic subjects; it also influences the child’s
ability to write. I know it is very hard and difficult to teach children how to read as
they have little span of attention. It requires more patience and effort. Each
young mind has a different sort of behavior and interests. It is not possible that
each child will be same and pay an equivalent attention to everything that is
being taught by the teacher. Some kids may find the classroom discussions
engaging or some may not find it very interesting to invest attention in.
 However, even in the case of difficulties, as long as we have the passion,
sincerity and dedication to teach we can manage to work so efficiently.