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I
do not care much for Frederick Taylor, founder of scientific management. Even
though Taylor is not my favorite person of the industrial era, I still must
understand his point of view in order to appreciate some of the systems of
modern education. Similarly, while I appreciate Franklin Bobbitt’s idea that
lessons should have objectives, I am not keen on his emphasis of scientific
measurement of everything in education. Understanding the views of both men,
however, help us understand the current education climate and how engrained
certain behaviors are in the 21st century education establishment.
Fortunately, this rigidity of thinking is not present in all classrooms.
When I think back to my first classroom, I try to remember the teacher
I was then and the values I held about teaching and learning. Reconnecting with
that new teacher has become important for me because she is the teacher
I still want to be.
Back
then teaching was about facilitating student discovery and learning meant
opening the mind to new ideas. The classroom was a busy place with students
moving through various activities that, within the confines of school
curricular objectives, were student directed. Students were expected to rise to
the occasion and they did.
Discovery,
critical thinking and exploring the world were important goals for my students;
my job was to facilitate that process. I still believe this to be true, though
I do not always succeed in reaching these goals.
It would seem that in our modern, fast-paced
world there would be room for multiple education theories and philosophies to
happily co-exist. Though individuals and school leaders will have their own philosophical
preferences, like the business world, educators must be flexible and adaptable
to meet the needs of our students. That means providing a variety of
educational experiences, both inside and outside the classroom. It means
providing students with a variety of materials and perspectives in their
lessons. It means that the arts must be included in a well-rounded program.
For
me, melding different perspectives and developing more authentic lessons for my
students is the next step toward reaching my goal to be a facilitator of
learning. But that is the next part of the journey.
