On September 30, 1859, Abraham
Lincoln stated, “A capacity, and taste, for reading,
gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key,
or one of the keys, to the already solved problems; and not only so, it gives a
relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved ones.” Isn’t this
what the essence of education is? Isn’t
education supposed to be an environment that facilitates not only the study of
what has already been accomplished, but through the rigors of fundamental
academics, push forward in the exploration of overcoming the challenges that
have no solutions or answers?
I come from an Essentialist point of
view where I deeply value the traditional academic knowledge base of subjects
like: math, science, social studies, and reading. I also value largely the development not only
of the mind, but also the character of the person. I deem education to be a place where discipline
is instilled, respect for authority is learned and practiced, character
qualities such as dependability, integrity, and perseverance are tested to
transform our students into people that will one day demand respect by the
virtue of their character as it correlates to the development of their
intelligence.
Although I value things that are
very traditional and conservative, I will take a creative approach within my
classroom. I want my students to feel
free to investigate ways to incorporate the basic skills they have learned and
put into practice in order to prepare them for the real world. I want my students to not only be fluent in
the basic core subjects, but also to be well versed in different events, cultures,
and ideas in order to cause my students to have a greater respect for those
around them.
I think it is very important that
the teacher model the behavior that is expected of their students. I want my students to be able to look at the
way I carry myself and conclude that I am sincere, committed to
keeping my word, and fun. Making
learning engaging is very important to me because I believe that students will
comprehend more and look forward to learning if they enjoy the discipline. I also want to model leadership as a servant
hood role in meeting both the academic and emotional needs of my students.
Making sure that students have a firm grasp on concepts
and how they relate to one another is very important to me. It is not my aim that students learn a
subject independently of one another, but how they all connect in the beautiful
picture of knowledge. I think that
subject content should build off of each other; therefore, broadening the scope
of understanding for the student. I
think it is imperative that the student be able to think critically for
themselves instead of having the teacher think for them. I think that school should be a place where
the student learns to think, not what to think.
I take the essentialist point of view because I care
about and believe in the student’s ability to demonstrate excellence in all
they do, challenging the minds of the next generation to be able to think
critically, and to have an understanding of the core subject content. In congruence with academics, I believe that the school is
a place to work with the family to instill character values and qualities in
order to make the student ready for their bright future as professionals.
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