My personal beliefs about what is and is not important in education appear to match many of the characteristics of both Progressivism and Essentialism.  I am not an extreme Progressivist, nor am I an extreme Essentialist.  Instead, I have found a way to fuse the two together comfortably in such a way that they both become a valuable influence on my educational philosophy. 

 

As a Music Education major specializing in Choral Conducting, and as an experienced Choral singer and Chorus teacher, I can say with certainty that recitation and demonstration of acquired knowledge are essential components of teaching pieces of music.  For example, much of teaching music can be described as a call-and-response method, whereby the teacher claps, speaks or sings the rhythm or song lyrics to the class.  The expectation is for the class to mirror the teacher’s clapping, speaking or singing in response, thus demonstrating that they are able to understand the rhythm of the piece, a charactaristic of essentialism in education.  On the other hand, this exercise alone makes the students active participants in the learning process which is a charactaristic of Progressivism in education.

 

Music students often learn best from each other in group settings such as choirs and bands.  When introducing a new song to the class, I find that it is “best tught through facilitating students in their own investigations to a certain extent As a Chorus teacher, one often has to guide singers through a new piece of music, allowing them to explore the piece which fosters a greater appreciation of both the composer and his or her reasons for writing the lyrics.  In my Chorus class, I allow students to participate in group discussions of the lyrics, offering opportunities for students to come into their own discoveries of the nature and message of a new song.  I enjoy walking around the room and guiding them through a new song.  In this example, the student’s role is to develop a deeper appreciation of the musical elements of the song (Progressivism) and to learn the lyrics and vocal skills necessary to demonstrate their understanding of basic components of the piece (Essentialism). 

 

I believe this approach fosters a bond between the students which opens the door for building respect for one another’s opinions.  Values such as respect for school rules, for other students, and for classroom etiquette are relevant to what students are learning.  The act of practicing values should be taught because it is just as important as the basic subjects of reading, writing, history, mathematics, and science.  The learning process, in many situations, cannot effectively happen when these values are not practiced.  Such values can be taught in schools starting with the example that is set by the teacher.   Students who take values seriously will be better prepared to handle various different types of personalities in their lives outside, as well as inside, the classroom.  I believe the role of the teacher in all of this is primarily to satisfy physiological requirements and to be intentional about meeting love and belongingness needs.   Beyond this, as it pertains to Progressivism and Essentialism, teachers should choose topics for the class, provide opportunities for topical discussions, and to guide the class back around to focusing on the challenges that each topic presents.  In the end, I feel it is important that the students know that there are no wrong answers (within reason), and that they can be purposeful about coming to their own conclusions.