The Teaching Profession

CHAPTER I

YOU, the TEACHER, as a PERSON in

SOCIETY

“Teachers are the most responsible and

important members of society because
their professional efforts affect the fate of
the earth.”
- Helen Caldicott
Introduction

We don’t live in a vacuum. We live in a

society. We are part of the society. Our
society influences us to the extent that we
allow ourselves to be influenced by it. Our
thoughts, values and actions are somehow
shaped by events and by people with whom
we come in contact. We, in turn, help shape
society- its events, its people and its destiny.
John Donne said it in his song “ No man is
an island”. No man stands alone. We need
one another. In the context of your life as a
teacher, we would say :No teacher is an
island. No teacher stands alone. Think of
the many people who are helping you now
become a teacher in the near future. In
fact, soon you will be called “ teacher” in
relation to a student , in the same manner
that your student will be called “ student”
in relation to you as teacher.
In this chapter, you will be made to realize
the significant role that you will play in
society. This is perhaps one reason why
many a time the teacher is blamed for the
many ills in society. You will also come to
realize the demands it will exact from you
for much is expected of you, the teacher. It
is, therefore , no joke to become one.
While teaching has many demands it also
has its share of rewards. Great teachers
recite a litany of these rewards most of
which are invisible to the eyes but are the
most essential.
Your influence on your students and on
other people with whom you work and live
depends on a great deal on your philosophy
as a person and as a teacher. Your
philosophy of life and your philosophy of
education serve as your “window “ to the
world and your “compass” in the sea of life.
Embedded in your personal philosophy are
your principles and values that will
determine how you regard people, how you
look at life as a whole. They govern and
direct your lifestyle, your thoughts,
decisions, actions and your relationships
with people and things.
In this chapter, you are expected to
Summarize at least seven philosophies of

education and draw their implications to teaching-

learning
Formulate your own philosophy of education

Discuss and internalize the foundational

principles of morality
Accept continuing values of education as an

integral part of your personal and professional life

Clarify if you really value teaching

Explain teaching as a vocation, mission and

profession
Embrace teaching as a vocation, mission and

profession
 Lesson I

Your Philosophical Heritage

“To philosophize is so essentially human-

and in a sense to philosophize means living
a truly human life.”

J.Pieper
 The Existential Question

We are heirs to a rich philosophical

heritage. Passed on to us are a number of
philosophies of various thinkers who lived
before us. These thinkers reflected on life
in this planet. They occupied themselves
searching for answers to questions about
human existence.
These essential questions come in different
versions. “What is life?”Who am I?”Why
am I here?”or “ What am I living
for?”What is reality?”Is the universe
real?”What is good to do?”How should I
live life meaningfully?” and the like. In the
school context, these essential questions
are: “Why do I teach?”How should I teach?
What is the nature of the learners?”How
do we learn?”
 An Exercise To Determine Your
Educational Philosophy

Find out to which philosophy you adhere.

To what extent does each statement apply
to you? Rate yourself 4 if you agree with
the statement always,3 if you agree but not
always,2 if you agree sometimes and 1 if
you don’t agree at all.
 Statements 1 2 3 4

1. There is no substitute for concrete experience in

learning.

2. The focus of education should be the ideas that are

relevant today as when they were first conceived.

3. Teachers must not force their students to learn the

subject matter if it does not interest them.

4. Schools must develop students’ capacity to reason by

stressing on the humanities.

5. In the classroom, students must be encouraged to

interact with one another to develop social virtues such as
cooperation and respect.
6. Students should read and analyze the Great Books, the
creative works of history’s finest thinkers and writers.

7. Help students expand their knowledge by helping them

apply their previous experiences in solving new problems.

8. Our course of study should be general, not specialized,

liberal, not vocational, humanistic, not technical.
 Statements 1 2 3 4

9. There is no universal, inborn human nature. We are

born and exist and then we ourselves freely determine
our essence.

10. Human beings are shaped by their environment.

11. Schools should stress on the teaching of basic skills.

12. Change of environment can change a person.

13. Curriculum should emphasize on the traditional

disciplines such as Math, Natural Science, History,
Grammar and Literature.

14. Teacher cannot impose meaning, students make

meaning of what they are taught.

15. Schools should help individuals accept themselves

as unique individuals and accept responsibility for
their thoughts, feelings and actions.
16. Learners produce knowledge based on their
experience.
17. For the leaner to acquire the basic skills, he
must go through the rigor and discipline of
serious study.
18. The teacher and the school head must
prescribe what is most important for the
students to learn.
19. The truth shines in an atmosphere of genuine
dialogue.
20. A learner must be allowed to learn at his own
pace.
21. The learner is not a blank slate but brings
past experiences and cultural factors to learning
situation.
22. The classroom is not a place where teachers
pour knowledge into empty minds of students.
23. The learner must be taught how to
communicate his ideas and feelings.
24. To understand the message from his
students, the teacher must listen not only to
what his students are saying but also to what they
are not saying.

25. An individual is what he chooses to become

 Interpreting your Scores
If you have 2 answers of 2/4 in num bers

1,3,5,7- you are m ore of a prog ressivist

2,4,6,8- you are m ore of a perennialist

9,15,20,25- you are m ore of an existentialist

10,12- you are m ore of a behaviorist

11,13,17,18- you are m ore of an essentialist

14,16,,21,22- you are m ore of a constructivist

19,23,24 – you are m ore of a ling uistic philosopher

If you have 2 scores of 4 in several of
the 7 clusters, you have an eclectic
philosophy which means you put the
philosophies together. If your scores are
less than 4, this means that you are not
very definite in your philosophy. Or if
your scores are less than 3 in most of
the items, this means your philosophy is
quite vague.
 After you have gotten an
idea on the philosophy, let
us know more about them.
SEVEN PHILOSOPHIES OF
EDUCATION

ESSENTIALISM
PROGRESSIVISM
PERENNIALISM
EXISTENTIALISM
BEHAVIORISM
LINGUISTIC PHILOSOPHY
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Why Teach?

This philosophy contends that

teachers teach for learners to
acquire basic knowledge, skills
and values. Teachers teach “not to
radically reshape society” but
rather” to transmit the traditional
moral values and intellectual
knowledge that students need to
become model citizens.”
ESSENTIALISM

What to Teach?
Essentialist programs are academically
rigorous. The emphasis is on academic
content for students to learn the basic
skills or the fundamental R’s-reading,
writing, arithmetic, right conduct- as these
are essential to the acquisition of higher or
more complex skills needed in preparation
for adult life. The essentialist curriculum
includes the “traditional disciplines such
as Math, Natural Science, History, Foreign
Language and Literature.
Essentialists frown upon
vocational courses or other
courses with watered down
academic content. The teachers
and administrators decide what is
most important for the students to
learn and place little emphasis on
student interests, particularly
when they divert time and
attention from the academic
curriculum
How to Teach

Essentialist teachers emphasize mastery

of subject matter. They were expected to be
intellectual and moral models of their
students. They are seen as “fountain” of
information and as paragon of virtue, if
ever there is such a person. To gain
mastery of basic skills, teachers have to
observe “core requirements, longer school
day, a longer academic year.
With mastery of academic content
as primary focus, teachers rely on
the use of prescribed textbooks,
and drill method and other
methods that will enable them to
cover as much academic content
as possible like the lecture
method. There is a heavy stress on
memorization and discipline.
 PROGRESSIVISM
Why Teach

Progressivist teachers teach to

develop learners into becoming
enlightened and intelligent
citizens of a democratic society.
This group of teachers teaches
learners so they may live life fully
now not to prepare them for adult
life.
What to Teach

The progressivists are

identified with need based
and relevant curriculum.
This is a curriculum that
responds to students’ needs
and that relates to students’
personal lives and
experiences.
Progressivists accept the impermanence of
life and the inevitability of change. For the
progressivists, everything else changes.
Change is the only thing that does not
change. Hence, progressivist teachers are
more concerned with teaching the learners
the skills to cope with change. Instead of
occupying themselves with teaching facts
or bits of information that are true today
but become obsolete tomorrow,
they would rather focus their teaching on
the teaching of skills or processes in
gathering and evaluating information and
in problem-solving. The subjects that are
given emphasis in progressivist schools are
the Natural and Social Sciences. Teachers
expose students to many new scientific,
technological and social developments,
reflecting the progressivist notion that
progress and change are fundamental. In
addition, students solve problems in the
classroom similar to those they will
encounter outside of the schoolhouse.
How to Teach

Progressivist teachers employ experiential

methods. They believe that one learns by doing.
For John Dewey, the most popular advocate of
progressivism, book learning is no substitute for
actual experience. One experiential teaching
method that progressivist teachers heavily rely
on is the problem-solving method. This makes
use of the scientific method. Other hands-on-
minds-on-hearts-on teaching methods used are
field trips during which students interact with
nature or society. Teachers also stimulate
students through thought-provoking games and
puzzles.
 PERENNIALISM
Why Teach
We are all rational animals, School
should therefore, develop the
students, rational and moral power,
According to Aristotle, if we neglect
the students reasoning skills, we
deprived them of the ability to use
their higher faculties to control their
passions and appetites.
What to Teach-
The perennialist curriculum is a universal
one on the view that all human beings
possess the same essential nature. It is
heavy on the humanities, on general
education. It is not a specialist curriculum
but rather a general one. There is less
emphasis on vocational and technical
education.
Philosopher Mortimer Adler
claims that the Great Books of
ancient and medieval as well as
modern times are repository of
knowledge and wisdom, a
tradition of culture which must
initiate each generation”. What
the perrenialist teachers teach
are lifted from the Great
Books.
How to Teach- The perennialist
classrooms are “centered around
teachers”. The teachers do not allow the
students’ interests or experience to
substantially dictate what they teach. They
apply whatever creative techniques and
others tried and true methods which are
believed to be most conducive to
disciplining the students’ minds. Students
engaged in Socratic dialogues or mutual
inquiry sessions to develop an
understanding of history’s most timeless
concepts.”
 EXISTENTIALISM
Why Teach- The main concern of the existentialists is “to help students understand and
appreciate themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their
thoughts, feelings and actions”. Since “existence precedes essence”, the existentialist teacher’s
role is to help students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths they take in
life and by creating an environment in which they freely choose their own preferred way. Since
feeling is not divorced from reason in decision making, the existentialist demands the
education of the whole person, not just the mind.
 What to teach- In an existentialist
curriculum, students are given a wide
variety of options from which to choose.
Students are afforded great latitude in
their choice of subject matter. The
humanities, however, are given
tremendous emphasis” to provide students
with vicarious experiences that will help
unleash their own creativity and self
expression. For example, rather than
emphasizing historical events,
existentialists focus upon the actions of
historical individuals, each of whom
provides possible models for the students’
own behavior.
. Moreover, vocational
education is regarded more as
a means of teaching students
about themselves and their
potential than of earning a
livelihood. In teaching art,
existentialism encourages
individual creativity and
imagination more than copying
and imitating established
models.
How to Teach- Existentialist methods focus
on the individual. Learning is self-paced,
self directed. It includes a great deal of
individual contact with the teacher, who
relates to each student openly and
honestly. To help students know
themselves and their place in society,
teachers employ values clarification
strategy. In the use of such strategy,
teachers remain non-judgmental and take
care not to impose their values on their
students since values are personal.
 BEHAVIORISM
Why Teach – Behaviorist schools
are concerned with the
modification and shaping of
students’ behavior by providing
for a favorable environment, since
they believe that they are a
product of their environment.
They are after students who
exhibit desirable behavior in
society.
What to Teach- Because
behaviorists look at “ people and
other animals as complex
combinations of matter that act
only in response to internally or
externally generated physical
stimuli, behaviorist teachers teach
students to respond favorably to
various stimuli in the
environment.
How to Teach- Behaviorist teachers ought
to arrange environmental conditions so
that students can make the responses to
stimuli. Physical variables like light,
temperature, arrangement of furniture,
size and quantity of visual aids have
controlled to get the desired responses
from learners. Teachers ought to make the
stimuli clear and interesting to capture and
hold the learners’ attentions. They ought to
provide appropriate incentives to reinforce
positive responses and weaken or
eliminate negative ones.
LINGUISTIC PHILOSOPHY

Why Teach – To develop the

communication skills of the
learner because the ability to
articulate, to voice out the
meanings and values of things that
one obtains from his experience of
life and the world is the very
essence of man.
It is through his ability to express
himself clearly, to get his ideas
across, to make known to others
the values that he has imbibed, the
beauty that he has seen, the
ugliness that he rejects and the
truth that she has discovered.
Teachers teach to develop in the
learner the skill to send messages
clearly and receive messages
correctly.
What to Teach- Learners should be taught
to communicate clearly-how to send clear,
concise messages and how to receive and
correctly understand messages sent.
Communication takes place in three ways-
verbal, non verbal and paraverbal. Verbal
component refers to the content of our
message, the choice and arrangement of
our word. This can be oral or written. Non
verbal component refers to the message we
send through our body language while
paraverbal component refers to how we
say what we say-the tone , pacing and
volume of our voices.
There is a need to teach learners to use
language that is correct, precise,
grammatical, coherent, and accurate so
that they are able to communicate clearly
and precisely their thoughts and feelings.
There is need to help students expand their
vocabularies to enhance their
communication skills. There is need to
teach the learners how to communicate
clearly through non verbal means and
consistently through para- verbal means.
There is need to caution the
learners of the verbal and non
verbal barriers to communication.
Teach them to speak as many
languages as you can. The more
languages one speaks, the better
he can communicate with the
world. A multilingual has an edge
over the monolingual or bilingual.
How to Teach- The most effective way to
teach language and communication is the
experiential way. Make them experience
sending and receiving messages through
verbal, non verbal and para verbal
manner. Teacher should make the
classroom a place for the interplay of
minds and hearts. The teacher facilitates
dialogue among learners and between him
students because in the exchange of words,
there is also an exchange of ideas.
 CONSTRUCTIVISM

Why Teach- To develop

intrinsically motivated and
independent learners adequately
equipped with learning skills for
them to be able to construct
knowledge and make meaning of
them.
What to Teach- The learners are taught
how to learn. They are taught learning
processes and skills such as searching,
critiquing and evaluating information,
relating these pieces of information,
reflecting on the same, making meaning
out of them, drawing insights, posing
questions, researching and constructing
new knowledge out of these bits of
information learned.
How to Teach – In the constructivist
classroom, the teacher provides students
with data or experiences that allow them
to hypothesize, predict, manipulate
objects, pose questions, research,
investigate, imagine and invent. The
constructivist classroom is interactive. It
promotes dialogical exchange of ideas
among learners and between teacher and
learners. The teacher’s role is to facilitate
this process.
Knowledge isn’t a thing that can be simply
deposited by the teacher into the empty
minds of the learners. Rather, knowledge
is constructed by learners through an
active, mental process of development;
learners are the builders and creators of
meaning and knowledge. Their minds are
not empty. Instead, their minds are full of
ideas waiting to be “midwife” by the
teacher with his skillful facilitating skills.
Summary
We have a very rich
philosophical heritage. But only seven
philosophies were discussed here: essentialism,
progressivism, perennialism, existentialism,
behaviorism, linguistic philosophy and
constructivism. The rest are assigned to you as
research work. The seven philosophies differ in
their concepts of the learner and values, in why
do we teach (objectives), what should be taught (
curriculum) and how should the curriculum be
taught ( teaching strategies). However, there
exist also some similarities among the
philosophies. These you will see more as you
proceed to the activities.
Notes : Philosophy is your
attitude, viewpoint,
thinking, way of life, values
or beliefs. Linguistics is the
study of language and how
language works. Heritage is
something that you inherit.
Test Your Understanding of the
Philosophies

Test I. Directions :Answer each

with a YES or NO. If your answer
is NO, explain your answer in a
sentence.
● Essentialism
_____1. Do essentialists aim to teach
students to reconstruct society?
_____2. Is the model citizen of the
essentialist the citizen who contributes to
the re-building of society?
_____3. Do the essentialist teachers give
up teaching the basics if the students are
not interested?
_____4. Do the essentialist teachers frown
on long academic calendar and core
requirements?
● Progressivism
_____1. Do the progressivist teachers look
at education as a preparation for adult life?
_____2. Are the students’ interests and
needs considered in a progressivist
curriculum?
_____3. Does the progressivist curriculum
focus mainly on facts and concepts?
_____4. Do the progressivist teachers
strive to simulate in the classroom life in
the outside world?
●Perennialism
_____1. Are the perennialist teachers
concerned with the students’s mastery of
the fundamental skills?
_____2. Do the perennialist teachers see
the wisdom of ancient, medieval and
modern times?
_____3. Is the perennialist curriculum
geared towards specialization?
_____4. Do the perennialist teachers
sacrifice subject matter for the students’
interests?
●Existentialism
_____1. Is the existentialist teacher after
students becoming specialist in order to
contribute to society?
_____2. Is the existentialist concerned
with the education of the whole person?
_____3. Is the course of study imposed on
students in the existentialist classroom?
_____4. Does the existentialist teacher
make heavy use of the individualized
approach?
● Behaviorism
_____1. Are behaviorists concerned with
the modification of students’ behavior?
_____2. Do behaviorist teachers spend
their time teaching their students on how
to respond favorably to various
environmental stimuli?
_____3. Do behaviorist teachers believe
that they have control over some variables
that affect learning?
_____4. Do behaviorist teachers believe
that students are a product of their
environment?
● Linguistic Philosophy
_____1. Do linguistic philosophers
promote the study of language?
_____2. Is the communication that
linguistic philosophers encourage limited
to verbal language only?
_____3. Do linguistic philosophers prefer
the teacher who dominates discussion to
save time to a teacher who encourages
dialogue?
_____4. Is the curriculum of the linguistic
philosopher open to learning of as many
languages like Mother Tongue as possible?
● Constructivism
_____1. Does the constructivist agree to a
teaching methodology of “telling”?
_____2. Do constructivists believe that
students can construct knowledge?
_____3. Do constructivists approve of
teaching learners skill to learn?
_____4. Do constructivists believe that
meaning can be imposed?
Test II. A. Directions : Test your mastery.
You may need to research further in order
to gain mastery. The first exercise in this
lesson may help. ( an exercise to determine
your philosophy in life)
To which PHILOSOPHY does each theory
of man belong?
A person :
__________1. Is a product of his
environment.
__________2. Has no universal nature.
__________3. Has rational and moral
powers.
__________4. Has no choice; he is
determined by his environment.
__________5. Can choose what he can
become.
__________6. Is a complex combination
of matter that responds to physical stimuli.
__________7. Has no free will.
__________8. Has the same essential
nature with others.
__________9. Is a rational animal.
__________10. First exists then defines
himself.
__________11. Is a social animal who
learns well through an active interplay
with others.
__________12. Is a communicating being.
__________13. Is a maker of meaning.
__________14. Is a constructor of
knowledge.
 Test III.
Synapse Strengtheners

A. We are interested in what is true. Our

teaching methodologies are based on our
quest for truth. Likewise our teaching
learning goals are based on what we value
or what we cherish as good. Identify what
each philosophy considers as good,
valuable and true. Complete the table given
below. The first one is done for you.
 Methodology Theory of what Goal of
Philosophy Theory of to arrive at is valuable and teaching -
truth good learning
the truth

progressivism The universe is We must relate Values differ To help

real and is in to the universe from place to develop
constant and interact place from students who
change with others time to time can adjust to a
intelligently, from person to changing world
scientifically person what is and live with
and considered others in
experientially. good for one harmony
The may not be
curriculum good for
stresses on another
science and
experiential
learning such
as hands-on-
minds on-
hearts on
learning
Philosophy Theory of truth Methodology Theory of what Goal of
to arrive at the is valuable and teaching -
truth good learning

Linguistic
Philosophy

Constructivism

Essentialism

Existentialism

Perennialism

Behaviorism
 Test II. B

Directions :
With which philosophy do you associate
the following quotations?
1. Education is life not a preparation for life – Dewey

2. Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself. –

Sartre

3. Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out of

initial learning efforts that are not appealing or attractive.

4. Give me a dozen healthy infants well informed and my

own specified world to bring them up in and I will
guarantee to take anyone at random and train him to
become any type of specialist I might select-doctor,
lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, and yes even beggar –
man and thief regardless of his talents, penchants,
tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors.
– Watson
5. Existence precedes essence. – Sartre

6. Life is what you make it. – William Thackeray

7.Listening in dialogue is listening more to

meaning than to words..In true listening, we reach
behind the words, see through them, to find the
person who is being revealed. Listening is a
search to find the treasure of the true person as
revealed verbally and non verbally. – John Powell

8. When a relationship is working, the act of

communicating seems to flow relatively
effortlessly… Chip Rose
 Test II. C.

Upon which philosophy is each program /

practice anchored?
1. Back to the basics movement

2. Conduct of National Achievement Test to test

acquisition of elementary/ secondary learning
competencies

3. Use of Great Books

4. Use of rewards and incentives

5. Use of simulation and problem solving method

6. Learners learning at their own pace

7. Mastery of the 3r’s –reading, writing and arithmetic

8. The traditional approach to education

9. Subject matter – centered teaching

10. Student centered teaching

11. Authoritarian approach to teaching

12. Non authoritarian approach to teaching

13. Making meaning of what is taught

14. Understanding message through verbal, non

verbal and paraverbal means

15. Asking learners to draw meaning from hat they

are taught