HUMANISTIC EDUCATION

NOTE: This is something I wrote for one of my classes. I thought the information was interesting, so I decided to share and (as always) would like to know your thoughts and opinions ; )

In short: Humanistic Education puts the development of character before academics in order to create happy, well-adjusted individuals. Webber and Plotts site two major ideals of Humanistic educators: 1) children have an innate ability to learn independently and creatively and 2) schoolwork should be relevant to students' daily lives (p. 122, 2008).

The question being asked is: Do you feel it has application in schools today?

My answer to that is: Absolutely, education of character has always been applicable within the school system; but you are not asking the right question. "To what degree should Humanistic education be taken to in schools?" is a more appropriate question to ask.

Today, teachers are not "just teachers" - we are confidants, we are investigators, we are alternate parents. What was once relegated to the church has come to the schools. As American society turns a more agnostic/atheistic eye, the development of character, morals, and values, rests in the hands of parents, peers, and educators.

However, before we can tackle the extent to which we develop character and moral standing in our classrooms, we must determine the purpose of education. Is it to develop model citizens? To ready them for the workforce? Teach to the test and ensure nice statistics? Social development? Cultural transmission? The list is endless. Perhaps we should teach students how to THINK, how to CHANGE, how to ADAPT, how to be ACTIVE and PREPARED rather than making sure the numbers look good. Once you determine the purpose of education, then you can determine to what degree your curriculum focuses on character development.