Running Head: THE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF A SELF-PROCLAIMED

REALIST

The Educational Philosophy of a Self-Proclaimed Realist,

and How I Discovered How Far from a Realist I Actually am.

Hallie Grant
Georgia Regents University - Augusta

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Every educator, like every other free thinking human being, portrays the influence of
their philosophical beliefs in their personal lives every day. In this sense, it is fair to note that
every task of a public school teacher is influenced by her personal philosophy. It is not
insignificant to notice that just like individual members of society, not one teacher is the exact
same in her belief system as the next. When a teacher walks into a classroom, her philosophy
walks in as well. What the teacher believes will influence every moment of instruction for her
particular classroom. Is one teachers set of beliefs wrong because it differs from another
teachers? Notice, the person answering this question is relying on her own beliefs to do so.
Educational philosophy has been a significantly researched topic for longer than our
generation could fathom. There are many philosophical beliefs floating amongst todays
educators, with none of them being exactly the same. It is easy, however, to have a broad
definition of a specific philosophy and categorize todays educators per that definition. Most
teachers would like to categorize themselves as some form of a progressivist, because it directly
correlates with todays federal educational reform standards. To appease the masses, we are all
trying to educate our students to live up to the standards of some of the nations best educators.
However, I would argue that it is not possible to label all of these educators as purely
progressive. I say this because I question how one gets the title of best educator. In todays
push toward a unified curriculum by the federal government, I wonder who is judging these
teachers and how. Is it the politicians who have never taught in a public school setting? Is it the
companies who mass-produce standardized test? Although I once claimed to be a true realist, I
now believe it impossible for anyone to categorize himself or herself under one specific

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philosophy. Through further inquiry and field observations I have come to realize how unrealistic
it is to label myself as a realist.
With that being said, I would hope that, like myself, most of todays teachers believe
themselves to be somewhat progressive. By definition, Progressivists focus on the education of
the student as a whole, rather than on the ability of the teacher (Diel, 2006). Progressive
educators find a way to inspire curiosity over specific content, instead of drilling the facts into
the brains of their students. In my opinion, if a teacher is not attempting to inspire curiosity
amongst her students, she should reconsider her career choice. What are we, as teachers, actually
doing if we refrain from finding ways to push our students into developing their own interest?
What are we doing if we arent inspiring our students to create a better future for their selves?
What is the point of teaching if our students leave our classrooms after one hundred eighty days
with no idea of the direction they each want to take in life?
I believe it safe to say that I do not completely categorize myself as a realist or a
progressivist. In fact, I would define myself as a critical-theorist in most senses of the term.
Similar to other self-proclaimed realists, I do agree with Cohen and Gelbrich (1999), in that
reality exists independent of the human mind. However, although I believe in the tangible and
the explainable, I also believe that doubting what I am told is an essential way for me to
completely believe in truth. This is the philosophy of critical-theory. In my opinion, a true realist
questions everything; if she did not then she is taking the notions developed by another faulted
human being to be truth.
As Descartes famously preached, doubt is essential in achieving a conclusive truth
(Rene Descartes, 2015). When applied to education in the realm of mathematics, WhiteFredette (2009/2010) states that generally being a math teacher requires that one know what

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mathematics is(p.27). To be a math teacher utilizing critical pedagogy, the focus shifts from
simply teaching math skills to something more.
In my opinion, to be effective, the math teacher must humanize mathematics and make
it more approachable to ALL students. These days, students are all judged on someone elses
definition of knowledge through educational reform and standardized testing. As Leistyna (2007)
states , while a score may be indicative of how well prepared a student is for a particular testing
instrument, it reveals little to nothing about his or her overall abilities (p.105). All students are
different and bring with them a different set of learning skills and styles, thus focusing all of their
attention on passing a test geared toward a specific type of student is detrimental to a students
ability to acquire real knowledge. I agree with Leistyna (2007) when she states, within this one
size fits all standards approach to schooling, the multifarious voices and needs of culturally
diverse low-income, racially subordinated and linguistic-minority students are simply ignored
and discarded (p.99). With that being said, I desire to be an advocate for ALL students, I desire
to show ALL students that math is fun and knowledge is reachable.
Being a good teacher requires that I focus on a variety of variables. To humanize
mathematics, I need to find a way to show my students that math is creative, fun, and relevant. In
order to portray math in this light, I must be creative, fun, and relevant. There is much more to
teaching than being good at math. As Aycock, Jackson and Simpson (2005) state, People who
genuinely understand teaching realize that it entails considerably more than having knowledge of
subject matter (p.5). I must creatively develop a teaching method that inspires curiosity amongst
ALL of my students. In my opinion, this curiosity comes from doubt, relevance, opportunity,
control, and freedom. I must provide a social class setting in which my students can doubt the
math, the teacher, themselves and their peers. I must create relevant lessons and give my students

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the opportunity, control and freedom to formulate solutions. This is thinking mathematically.
Through quoting Aycock, Jackson and Simpson (2005) , Teachers, as cultivators of thinking
people, have different roles to play and should be creative and reflective as they develop students
who exhibit these and other qualities (p.7).
As I stated, I once proclaimed to be a realist in every sense of the term. However,
throughout time, most educational realists have proclaimed that a teacher-centered, stand-anddeliver approach with constant repetition is the only way a student will learn how to do math
(White-Fredette, 2009/2010). The general opinion of the realist philosophy in education is
summarized by Cohen and Gelbrich (1999) as a situation where the teacher organizes and
presents content systematically within a discipline, demonstrating use of criteria in making
decisions(Realism, para. 2). As a critical theorist, I challenge this notion. I do hold the opinion
that organization is a necessary component to being successful in any endeavor in life, but I
discredit the idea that there is a certain system that is the right, and only, way to teach
mathematical content. I am critical of any idea that another human attempts to tell me is the
only way. This simply cannot be true. There is no knowledge ever come to by man that cannot
be challenged, this is what makes the mind so beautiful. In my opinion, a stand-and-deliver
approach is doomed to fail when attempting to teach someone how to think mathematically. As
Friere (2004) states, often educators and politicians speak and are not understood because their
language is not attuned to the concrete situation of the people they address. (p. 96) This is
definitely true of the language of mathematics. All teachers, at some point in their career, face the
typical students question of why do I need to know this? What better way to answer this
terrifying question that to show them? Gonzalez states, The more that participants can engage
and identify with the topic matter, the more interest and motivation they will have (Gonzalez,

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Moll, & Amanti, 2005, p.8). To get students interested and motivated, a good teacher must find
ways to not only make the subject material relevant, but also give students an opportunity to
control their own learning process. As stated, The product of independently thinking, choosing
and functioning students is also a social, collaborative experience (Aycock, Jackson, & Simpson,
2005, p.51).
Throughout my life, Ive come to realize that the general consensus on mathematical
knowledge is that it is only had by an elite few of high intelligence. Considering this overpopularized opinion, it is not difficult to understand why most students claim to hate math.
There is, in some sense, an ever-popular, learned helplessness in the realm of high school
students understanding mathematics. In any attempt to be an effective math teacher, I need to
convince students that they should look beyond the traditional view of mathematics as a fixed
subject of absolute truths (White-Fredette, 2009/2010, p.22). As a critical theorist, I believe one
way to affectively utilize ones ability to do math is to view all mathematical practices as
questionable. This requires that I find a way for students to let go of their I just dont have a
mathematical brain attitude and to look at math and wonder why? Who came up with this? Why
did they even think of this in the first place? Thus creating a social environment where students
and teachers are co-learners, co-teachers, and co-creaters (Aycock, Jackson, & Simpson, 2005,
p.51) is essential in being able to think mathematically. The teacher must have a love of
stimulating interest in the subjects for which she has great interest and enthusiasm (Aycock,
Jackson, & Simpson, 2005, p.33).
However, inspiring curiosity by pushing students to ask why is not the only cure to the
ailment of ineffectively teaching math. An effective math teacher must also inspire curiosity by
making math more approachable and relevant to her students. As Dewey asserts in his book On

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Experience, Nature and Freedom, Since learning is something that the pupil has to do himself
and for himself, the initiative lies with the learner (as cited in Gowin, p.63). An effective math
teacher must always remember that when a child walks into the classroom they must also walk
back out, into their every day lives. It is ignorant to not notice that a students life outside of the
classroom directly affects his/her academic success. With this in mind, it is necessary for the
teacher to step out of the broad definition of teaching and put forth a somewhat parental
approach with her students. I firmly believe that just because a student lives a life that seems as if
it sets him/her up for academic failure does not mean the student will fail. Difficulties are not
impossible obstacles. Students facing outside difficulties must perceive their state not as fated
and unalterable, but merely as limiting and therefore challenging(Freire, 2004, p.85). It may be
an idealists view to believe that a teacher is able to educate all students to the maximum of their
abilities, and it is possibly a realists opinion that all students are different in their learning
techniques, however it is the constructivists opinion that lessons must be relevant to the student
in order for the student to fully understand the concepts. I agree with Frieres (2004) opinion that
students, as they are increasingly posed with problems relating to themselves in the world and
with the world, will feel increasingly challenged and obliged to respond to that challenge (p.64).
As a teacher, I am also a student. I understand that all students face some sort of obstacle
in their lives outside of the classroom. As Amanti states, No matter what background our
students have, there is knowledge in their home that can be tapped into and used in the
classroom( Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005, p.132). I desire to learn about my students and
from my students, because students as individuals respond differently to their environment,
need different atmospheres sometimes and profit from personalized treatment (Aycock, Jackson,
& Simpson, 2005, p.80). Thus connecting with my students will further create a cohesive social

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learning setting in my classroom.

As a mother, I watch my own children. I pay attention to their movements and their
expressions. I see in their actions and reactions when they are learning, and I take note of the
situations in which they learn. Because of my children, I have learned that people acquire greater
knowledge when they are enjoying how they learn and when they are given the freedom to learn.
I firmly believe that the key to truly understanding a concept is by making the task of
understanding not seem like a chore. As a teacher I know that if a student, just like myself, is told
they have to do something a certain way, they will never find pleasure in doing it. Independent
inquiry through guidance is necessary in fully utilizing your mathematical brain. Karpov
(2014) states, the acquisition of new concepts is most meaningful to students when they are
given an opportunity to construct their own knowledge and to discover things for themselves
(p.10). As a teacher, I view myself more as a guide in acquiring knowledge rather than a drill
sergeant forcing knowledge. I believe coming to a conclusion in a democratic, social setting is
much more productive to true understanding than being told what the conclusion is. The reason I
enjoy mathematics is because it can be viewed as puzzle solving, and as a teacher I can create
lessons in which my students solve puzzles through guided inquiry. In my opinion, this will
make math more enjoyable by giving my students control over how they will solve these
puzzles. This control will lead my students to fully developing their mathematical brain.
Ernest (1996) states that many mathematicians love mathematics because it is so absolute
(para.13). Although I do not claim to be a mathematician, I cannot disagree with this more. I love
math because I can question it. I can take any mathematical statement and wonder, Why is this
viewed as true? I can do research, apply my own mathematical knowledge, and come to a
conclusion that helps me understand the answer to this question. This is like solving a puzzle. As

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a teacher, this is what I hope to help my students learn to do. Similar to Freires (2004) beliefs,
students should be given the freedom to create and construct, to wonder and venture. Such
freedom requires that the individual be active and responsible, not a slave or a well-fed cog in the
machine (p. 68).
I want to explain a concept and have my students ask why? In my opinion, this is how
knowledge and skill are gained. Stand and deliver methods of teaching may prove effective in
some instances, but what if the student cannot stop thinking about how they are going to get
home that day? What if the student cannot stop worrying about their History test next period? To
quote John Locke in his famous Some Thoughts Concerning Education Article, His tutor
should remember, that his business is not so much to teach him all that is knowable, as to raise in
him a love and esteem of knowledge; and to put him in the right way of knowing and improving
himself when he has a mind to it (section 189).
This idea of being able to do mathematics that I wish to portray to my students cannot
be done through textbooks and white boards alone. I am a firm believer in the idealistic approach
of teaching my students how to apply their mathematical knowledge to actual life, however the
typical high school math class attempts to do this through word problems that are of little
relevance to the student. As Sparrow (2008) states, this is a problem that is little more than a
dressed-up calculation exercise that usually follows a page of similar calculations (p.5). It is
necessary to find ways to connect math to the relevance of the student. I can say without much
debate that the student who has no food in his pantry at home could not care less about the
number of apples it takes to equal the weight of the number of oranges. As Sparrow (2008) says,
For many children, the mathematics of the classroom has no obvious connection to the
mathematics of their world (p.4). When a student is attempting to conclude a math problem, the

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focus should be less on the answer and more on the solution. It bothers me to hear a student say,
You cant do it that way. So much focus has been put on the appropriate way to solve a
problem; instead on the relevance the problem has to actual life. I firmly believe there is never
just one way to do anything in life, this includes math. Further drilling the proper procedure
for how to solve an equation will only hinder the students ability to view math as fun, and if a
student never views math as fun the student will never consider approaching a future career in
any form of a mathematical field.
Ernest (1996) explains that the image of perfection held by absolutists must disappear for
accuracy. The idea that thinking mathematically is something only a certain few are able to do is,
in my opinion, disgusting. For any one person to believe in his/her own incapability without first
making an attempt completely disgusts me. As a teacher, I will never let a student attempt to
persuade me into believing he/she is incapable of mathematical thought. The new ideas in
education of catering to a students self-esteem have ruined the capability of the student to
build their own self worth. Knowledge is a social process; therefore my classroom will be set up
in a non-traditional, flipped way.
In general, my opinions of education correspond with those opinions of many critical
theorists as opposed to my original thoughts of being a realist. Education is important in this
country for many reasons. A solid education will help build character and confidence among
individuals and can assist in building true equality among citizens. The more knowledge an
individual has, regardless of his/her culture and background, the more equipped the person will
be to question the status quo. As an educator, helping students develop this necessary knowledge
(which I am not regarding as completely academic) will lead to a better tomorrow for future
generations. As a mother, a better tomorrow for future generations means a better tomorrow for

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my children and their future families. As a mother teaching the children of others, it is no t
irrelevant to notice the injustice against todays students, including my own. What sort of
educator would I be to sit back and watch as future generations continue this unfair cycle? As a
teacher, I must be critical. I must show my students that they too should be critical, especially of
their own injustice and how to overcome it. This may seem far fetched as only a high school
mathematics teacher, but if I can build confidence in these students through acquiring
knowledge they otherwise believed unattainable, wouldnt this be an enormous milestone in what
they believe they can do in this world? I understand that my own novice opinion of a classroom
atmosphere may be leading to these idealistic opinions, but I am still a student myself, who only
a few short years ago never dreamed that my own brain was capable of getting me to where I am
today. I dream that my children have a critical teacher who pushes them to use parts of their
brain they did not know they could use. Since I dream this for my children, and I will be the
teacher of other peoples children, I must be this critical teacher that I dream of.

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References
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Cohen, L.M. & Gelbrich, J. (1999). Educational philosophies. Retrieved from Lecture Notes
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Diehl, D.E. (2006). A study of faculty-related variables and competence in integrating
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Ernest, P. (1996). The nature of mathematics and teaching. In D.A. Almeida & P. Ernest (Eds.).
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McLaren, P. & Kincheloe, J. L. (Eds.). (2007). Critical pedagogy, Where are we now? New
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