Marie asked:

I am having a difficult time putting into words a statement of educational philosophy. I feel education
should be fun, full of new experiences, have an atmosphere of high energy and diverse teaching
techniques.

Please help me!

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I mentioned your question to an ex-student of mine who has just started a post-graduate program in
education. Her subject is mathematics. She just said 'social constructivism'. I don't know if that term
means anything to you!

In the UK, the educational philosophy you describe is now widespread in primary schools (up to age
11). In secondary schools there is still a fierce battle going on between the progressive view, and the
back-to-basics 'chalk and talk' approach that gained renewed impetus in the Margaret Thatcher
years.

I have a couple of comments on what you have said. In Japanese schools, there is intense pressure
of competition, with students swotting long hours to pass the required exams. That is obviously not
the 'high energy' you are talking about. You mean that students should be filled with enthusiasm for
the subject of their study, and that it is the job of the teacher to generate that enthusiasm.

'Diverse teaching techniques' looks to me like a description of the means, rather than the end.
Suppose that we found that one particular teaching technique worked superbly well in generating
enthusiasm and filling the students with new experiences. Wouldn't it be right to concentrate on that
technique rather than alternate between different methods, some of which were inferior?

My primary aim in teaching philosophy has always been to generate enthusiasm for the subject. I
have always thought that this was because of the nature of philosophy. It is impossible to teach
philosophy to those who are not gripped by its problems.

Geoffrey Klempner