Reflection Paper - Existentialism

Leonardo Z. Camboja Jr.

BEE-2

November 21, 2012, MWF – 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Dr. Olga C. Alonsabe, Ph.D.

Reflection Paper – Existentialism

During our class, our topic is about educational philosophy. At first we have an activity, by evaluating ourselves to determined what kind of teacher we in the future. Based on that activity, we can determined ourselves if we are progressivist, essentialist, existentialist, perennialist and behaviorist teacher. After that, wedivided into 5 groups. Our teacher facilitated the activity to defend our result and explainwhy? It was very interesting for me to hear every group sharing their thought and understanding of every philosophy of education.

According to the 2 Greeks Philosophers Aristotle and Plato: We should not accept anyone else's predetermined philosophical system; rather, we must take responsibility for deciding who we are. The focus is on freedom, the development of authentic individuals, as we make meaning of our lives. The individual person has its choices, he/she knows what’s the best for themselves. Our decision can lead us to determine the positive output of our undertakings in our lives. 

French philosopher, Jean Paul Sartre, suggested that for youth, the existential moment arises when young persons realize for the first time that choice is theirs, that they are responsible for themselves. Their question becomes "Who am I and what should I do? In related to education, the subject matter of existentialist classrooms should be a matter of personal choice. Teachers view the individual as an entity within a social context in which the learner must confront others' views to clarify his or her own. Character development emphasizes individual responsibility for decisions. Real answers come from within the individual, not from outside authority. Examining life through authentic thinking involves students in genuine learning experiences. Existentialists are opposed to thinking about students as objects to be measured, tracked, or standardized. Such educators want the educational experience to focus on creating opportunities for self-direction and self actualization. They start with the student, rather than on curriculum content.

I realized the role of the teachers in dealing with children in the classrooms must be observant and realistic in making approach of each individual pupil. Letting individual to be more expressive themselves to obtain such learning they want to. Guiding them to correct pathways in order discover their potentials who they are as a person in the community.

As an existentialist teacher someday, I will be an open minded; assists their individual needs of learning. I will encourages individual creativity and remain non-judgemental.