Philosophy of Teaching

by William Reeder

1. Socrates

1.1. Create in students an awareness of their ignorance.

1.1.1. Possibility of creating a drive for inquiry

1.2. Learn to think and react critically to what we accept as truths.

1.2.1. recognizing and learning from our mistakes to make ourselves better

2. Plato

2.1. World of Ideas that transcends the material and physical world.

2.1.1. Perhaps the next truth is the student's unexplored rationalization

3. Aristotle

3.1. The potential for reason is inherent in every human being.

3.1.1. Actualized differently within each individual

4. St. Augustine

4.1. No one can teach or transmit reality. Humans must experience it for themselves.

5. Erasmus

5.1. Humanist: There is a natural goodness that resides in every human being.

5.1.1. Students should strive to reveal this goodness through contemplation.

5.1.2. This should be the truth revealed through (goal of) education

6. Rosseau

6.1. Allowing each human's goodness to develop into good human beings and citizens.

7. Dewey

7.1. Students must experience for themselves the truths to be learned.

8. Greene

8.1. We are autonomous creatures in control of our reality through the choices we make.

9. Sarte

9.1. Our minds are condemned to be free.