Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Why is Humanism an Effective Educational Philosophy that MUST be taught?

Humanism: a philosophy that, in terms of education, calls for respect and kindness toward students and developmentally appropriate instruction in liberal arts, social conduct, and moral principles.

One may ask: why is Humanism an effective educational philosophy? How is it effective?
Imagine being a teacher in a classroom with 20-25 kids who dislike each other and are constantly rude to one another. I know I get a headache just thinking about it the stress that would cause. Humanism  advocates respect and kindness toward all the people. Students SHOULD learn how to respect everyone. In the “real world” being respectful is a key attribute. Not getting along with others and the inability to work with others is a sincere weakness for an individual and it will be difficult for them to succeed in their future if they cannot respect others.

I understand some personality traits such as honesty, integrity, and respect are often taught at home, but it is important to further drill the aspect of respect and kindness into school children. By having a teacher nurture and show respect for a student, the student is likely to follow suit. If a student receives such respect and kindness from their teachers/elders they are likely to do the same. For all students to be respectful and kind is a teacher’s dream and takes some weight off the teacher’s back. The teacher no longer has to worry about little Johnny being rude and can focus on teaching. Part of humanism is letting the students learn on their own. A teacher should only act as a guide in teaching respect and the children should learn (on their own) the importance of respecting others, in the classroom and in life.

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