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Essentialism as the prodominent philosophy in the classroom.

History of Essentialism

Essentialism is an American philosophy of education which started its movement in the early 1930’s. It was derived as a counter to the “child-centered” approach to teaching.

Essentialism is portrayed as the “traditional” or “Back to Basic” approach to education. (Cooper/Ryan). Its main goal is to provide student with the essential needs of academic learning and social development. Essentialism is a conservative philosophy that pertains to the ever-changing social, educational, and technological aspects of American Society. It stresses the importance of the teacher as the authoritative figure in the classroom and subject matter should be the center of the curriculum. Also, essentialist express concern that schools should not try to radically change society. Instead schools should promote the traditional moral values such as: respect for authority, perseverance, and consideration for others. Along with the gathering of basic knowledge, students will have the skills to become model citizens.

One of the founding fathers of Essentialism is William C. Bagley (1874-1946). He was a professor at Teachers’ College of Columbia University, and one of the founding fathers of Kappa Delta P. He was the leader of the Essentialistic Education. Society, and author of “Education and Emergent Man” (1934). He was critical of the progressive educational system of the time, and believed that society had a core of common knowledge that needed to be relayed to students in a disciplined manner. He stressed that progressive education damaged the intellectual and moral standards of students. His belief was that a systematic way of teaching could stress the essential knowledge and skill one needs to become a productive citizen within a society.

Beliefs of Essentialism

To achieve maximum results in education, hard work and effort are required. Motivation is a crucial key to learning, but if a lack of motivation exist the teacher is responsible for keeping the student(s) focused on the task. This belief exists, because at an early age students may not know what they need in the future. Students sometimes have a difficult time deciefiering the goal/meaning of a lesson or curriculum. Therefore, teachers must help students overcome their desires for a quick-fix, and help guide them to reach future objectives.

Discipline in the classroom is a key tool for only the teacher, but equally important for the student. Keeping order is a necessity. A classroom full of distractions does not make for a desirable place to learn. Teachers must give direction. The classroom should revolve around the teacher-centered philosophy, because the teacher is far more likely to know what their students will need to know to be a productive member of society. Therefore, the teacher is responsible for the growth of their students.

Hard work and discipline are the two major beliefs essentialists believe will result in positive results in the classroom, these ideals need to be constantly reinforced by the teacher. Essentialists perceive their teachers are intellectual and moral role models for their students.

Essentialism in the Classroom

In 1924, William C. Bagley co-edited a series of books about the art of teaching. These books intended use were for those students in professional schools for teachers. In the first volume, An Introduction to Teaching, Bagley (1924) begins to lay out his beliefs for his soon to be developed philosophy of Essentialism. He did this by describing the subject areas of instruction that teachers and student should know. Bagley broke knowledge up into four subject areas: social arts, the liberal studies, practical arts, and applied sciences. Social arts were subjects that dealt with language matter and numbers. Areas of focus were reading language, spelling, and arithmetic. Liberal studies are subjects used to widen and deepen the educational experiences. The core subjects were: geography, history, civics, literature, and the natural sciences. Practical arts is the area intended on helping students develop skills in which they can us materials to make things. Common materials would be wood, metals, food, and textiles. Students will learn these skills to help them with the daily routines of home life and demands of many occupations. Applied sciences uses obtained knowledge to improve the practical arts. The subject field would consist of teachings areas like: navigation, agriculture, forestry, and mechanical arts just to name a few. These four areas are what essentialist believe are the most essential skills and knowledge that needs to be taught to all students. In essentialist classroom teacher/administrators decide what is most important for their students to learn, and place little emphasis on student interests. Student’s interest often diverts time and attention from the academic curriculum. Students will only be promoted from grade level to level by displaying the abilities to master the required material for that grade level. Essentialist teachers do this by review achievement test scores. Essentialist believe that test scores serve as the best mean for measuring progress and comparing results. Through this process students are taught to be culturally and socially literate. Students achieve this by understanding the working of the people, ideas, events, and institutions that shape their society. Essentialists want their students to leave school with the concept of basic skills and extensive body of knowledge. Also, students will develop a disciplined a practical mind, deeming themselves capable of applying their classroom lessons to solve problems in the real world.

Sidebar

-“Gripping and enduring interests frequently grow out of initial learning efforts that are not appealing or attractive.” -William Bagley

-“The ability to think straight, some knowledge of the past, some vision of the future, some skill to do useful service, some urge to fit that service into the well-being of the community – these are the most vital things education must try to produce.” -Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve (Ryan/Cooper) 276

Questions

1.	What two philosophies does Essentialism draw from? a.	idealism and perennialism b.	realism and existentialism c.	idealism and realism d.	perennialism and existentialism

2.	What are the two principle beliefs that essentialists expect in the classroom? a.	hard work and discipline b.	effort and child-centered classrooms c.	moral acceptance and skill building d.	all of the above

3.	What classes would fall into William C. Bagley’s subject area “Social Arts”? a.	agriculture, forestry, navigation, mechanical arts b.	spelling, reading, language, arithmetic c.	history, geography, civics, literature d.	wood making, metal shaping, cooking, fabrication

4.	How does essentialist measure progress in their students? a.	acceptance of the knowledge at hand b.	expedient of the core knowledge and skills c.	standardize test scores d.	mental and social growth.

5.	Essentialist wants their students to leave the classroom with a certain mindset. What two behaviors best described a students thinking after learning in an essentialist classroom? a.	disciplined and practical b.	practical and moral c.	socially adaptive and specification d.	abstract and free-flowing

Correct answers

1.	c 2.	a 3.	b 4.	c 5.	a

Essay Question

Due to technology and the ever-changing landscapes of education, do you think the philosophical ideals of essentialism can still be used in the modern classroom? Explain

References:

Bagley. W.C.& Keith. J.A.H. (1924). An introduction to teaching. New York: MacMillian.

Dasenbroock. R. W. (1990). What to teach when the canon closes down: toward a new essentialism. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.

Gill. B. Schlossma. S. (1996). “A sin against childhood”: Progressive education and the crusade to abolish homework. American Journal of Education..

Ozman. H. & Cramer. S. (1992. 5th ed.). Philosophical foundations of education. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Ryan. Kevin. & Cooper. M. James. (2004. 10th ed.) Those Who Can, Teach. Boston, Ma.: Houghton Mifflin Company.