Schooling over the years has changed–at least in outward appearances. What began as learning at home, to a one room class room, has now turned into hundreds learning in one building-or even online. Even though it may look like schooling is changing, the purpose has always stayed the same-to help children learn and grow. Schools were first started to teach boys how to read the Bible that grew into them also learning math and writing. As the years went by girls were included into the world of education- but the purpose has always been the same- to teach children so they can better improve themselves. Children were taught how to read the Bible so they would be able to better understand what it said, so they could follow the Lord better and more fully. Schools today teach kids what is necessary in their everyday lives, while we do not teach reading for the sole purpose of reading the Bible, schools still teach with the intention of betting their students.
Students learn best when they are being cared for. A gardener does not simply tell the plants to grow; he gives them the things they need to make them grow. In the same way, a teacher cannot simply tell the children to learn, they too must play a part in the learning processes. The student is there to learn, but they learn from all different things–peers, teachers, books and their everyday lives are teaching them things, both good and bad, the teacher needs to be there to reinforce the good learning, and help them to learn and hopefully enjoy learning.
The teacher is there more as a guide. The teachers purpose is like that of a pamphlet that one would receive at a museum; it is there to give information–but it does not tell all, some must be learned on one’s own–it helps to guide you from place to place, allowing room for questions and side bar comments, but always being there to keep you on track. A teacher is also like a gardener, helping students to grow and find the needed materials to learn. The best kind of teachers are the ones that have the class room where everyone learns, but you value that learning, because you know and have seen the teacher’s heart in what they do and know that the teacher would not waste your time with frivolous nonsense. The teacher is there to point students on the path to success. Class time would be instructional, but a good teacher knows that all lectures all the time is never good. Rather the teacher would be able to decipher what the class mood is and plan accordingly. For me a teacher is a nurturer, someone to trust, and a well spring of knowledge.
The curriculum should be more of an outline. Curriculum should be there to point teachers and students in the direction that needs to be taken, giving the main ideas, a beginning place and an ending point. Rather than step by step instructions on how everything should be done. Every class is completely individual, every year, every teacher will be different as will the class and students that teacher has, as well as the world the teacher is teaching in and about. Everything is constantly changing. If curriculum is to be step-by-step instructions, teachers and students cannot be expected to grow or change. Curriculum that is used as an outline is way more beneficial. Knowing where your students should begin and end the year would be helpful. Having a goal that you are trying to achieve is beneficial. But no curriculum can take into account off days. What about those days when someone dies? How does that fit into the curriculum? Or if the weather is bad and school is on a two hour delay- so you just lost half of your class period to teach in- then what? Rather, having an end point in mind would make teaching to the goal, more realistic, some lessons can be combined, while others can be skipped or just mentioned in passing.
Teaching is a rare mixture of art, science and a whole bunch of other things. No other profession in the world has the rare task of being given twenty five little lives, and told to make them into better human beings. Teaching is an art form, getting twenty five people to do anything together is an art – when those twenty five are children who are either hyper, shy or out spoken- a true talent. Yet it is also a science, knowing the exact formula of teaching, listening and disciplining. Knowing how to balance between the art and the science sides of teaching- simply talent. My preferred teaching style is lecture, with student input. I want to teach high school history; so waiting for the students to ask all the questions will not end in them knowing all they need to learn. Rather my style would look like asking if they had any questions- whether from the last lesson or from the world around them, answering those questions first, then beginning the new lesson. If a student has a question, making them wait until the end of the class period is not the greatest idea, most of the time that student will be thinking about their question the entire class period rather than listening to the new lesson. Perennialism, is the philosophy I would ascribe to most. As defined by one, it is “the most conservative, traditional, or inflexible of the five philosophies is perennialism, a philosophy drawing heavily from classical definitions of education. Perennialists believe that education, like human nature, is a constant. Because the distinguishing characteristic of humans is the ability to reason, education should focus on developing rationality. Education, for the perennialist, is a preparation for life, and students should be taught the world’s permanencies through structured study. For the perennialist, reality is a world of reason. Such truths are revealed to us through study and sometimes through divine acts.” (http://gradcourses.rio.edu/leaders/philosophies.htm). Though I think that teaching is not quite so rigid and unchanging, this is still the view that I most closely agree to.
I want to teach at a Christian school. That is where I feel lead. That is where I feel God has made my mission field. With that being said, the climate would be God centered. Growing up in a Christian school, I know first-hand that we can still have good sports teams, a good art and drama department, and plenty of school spirit- but with all of these things, we knew that they were not the sole purpose of schooling, they were just worldly and we knew that in everything we did, all the praise needed to go back to the Lord. An outsider, walking into this school, would be able to see that this is a school unlike any other. Not only is learning promoted, it is achieved. The Lord is put first in all that is learned, and all subjects relate back to the one who created them in the first place. This outsider would feel welcomed and encouraged to come and join in.
The students are learning not just to become better citizens, but to become better people. That is truly why schools are there, to help children grow- in knowledge and as people.
Laura Brown 