Philosophy
Education and the School
I believe that students should be at the core of every school. Their individual needs and abilities should be foremost on the minds of every educator and administrator. Schools should encourage students to learn by experience and enable students to make educated decisions for themselves, and to arrive at those decisions through critical consideration of everything they know and have experienced.
I believe that the school environment must be one in which children are free and safe to grow into citizens of their communities and the world. But students should never be shielded from the realities outside the school walls, but rather enable them to participate in the world with a critical and grounded eye.
Social Studies Education
I believe that the topics of Social Studies cannot be separated from the greater issues in the world. Social Studies educators should trust students to handle a diverse range of topics. I believe that educators should allow students to explore the greater issues in the world and encourage them to think critically from a young age.
I believe that topics in Social Studies should remain fluid, and adapt to the changing world environment. Learning geography should be more than learning the names of capitals. Rather, geography should engage students in efforts to learn about diverse cultures and the current affairs of regions. Social Studies should expand upon textbook knowledge into the real world, in order for students to truly begin to form an educated worldview.
I believe that students learn more effectively when they can apply the topics from their classes to their own lives. Therefore a large part of Social Studies education should allow for reflection on the topics covered, and provide students with outlets to think about the greater picture of the topics learned. One way to do this is through volunteerism. By applying their learning to real issues in their own communities, students have the opportunity to put to use what they learn in the classroom.
The School and Social Progress
I believe that it is integral to education that children are able from a young age to see themselves as members of the global community, not just their local one. An educator in gifted education suggested “we need to create an environment that strives to preserve the uniqueness of…children and simultaneously integrate them into the large global entity, just as the heart is a distinct organ within the body.” When people feel more connected to the larger world, they are more prepared to make the decisions that ultimately affect us all.
I believe that education should go far beyond the simple task of learning facts. Education should work to grow the students’ skills of cooperation, as well as enable them to engage in peaceful conflict resolution. The world is a constantly changing place, and not all changes are for the better. I believe it is the duty of the school and the teachers within it to prepare students to make the very real-world choices they are going to face that will affect the future of the entire planet.