Often the most difficult responses we get when working with young people are: “I don’t know.”, “I don’t care” and “What can I do about?”. Outside of the practical skills that are necessary for adulthood, education has so much more to offer students and their communities. It can authentically respond to the difficult statements above. This is why my teaching philosophy is inspired by progressive, existential and critical pedagogy.

A progressive educator sees students as life long learners who are able to test, examine and create understanding from their experiences as they grow into adult and beyond. With this idea in mind, the teacher provides experiences and interactions from which the students can develop both scientific thinking, problem solving and self awareness, along side a general taste for learning.  The classroom is a laboratory, the educator assesses skills and aptitudes but has a larger goal. It is an experimental attitude, the internalizing the learning process is progress. Or, simply have student’s learned that they can learn.  Have they experienced the practical and emotional benefits of knowledge?

The existential educator, sees students as people who will exist in a profound and complex world. Looking at it this way, the students won’t just be gaining knowledge and experience, but will be faced with emotions, situations and questions that are puzzling, require interpretation and ethical action. The classroom is an adventure into the big questions of life, into understanding how humans communicate their passions through out history, literature and the arts. Beyond skills, the teacher looks at if the student can understand shades of meaning and articulate questions that matter to them– Have they discovered what they care about and why?  

One they students start asking these critical questions and other type of learning can happen.  A critical educator see the student as someone who will also need to take action and responsibility for problems facing them and their community, the critical educator knows that the student will face critical issues and have to live through them. In this sense, the educator facilitates student empowerment. Students are given opportunity to determine the how and what of they are taught and to ask important questions. Teachers see if students have learned to develop their own content and courses of action. Not only are skills and understanding evaluated but self-determination and collaboration are encouraged. Have they experience what they can do about and do so with others?