The Ignorant Schoolmaster Analysis

There are numerous questions surrounding the idea of using philosophy in education. One of the main questions ponders whether or not, when teaching philosophically, if we are giving our students too much freedom and if they need a more structured environment to learn. In order for students to learn effectively, they must be educated by philosophy and their teachers must serve as philosophical educators. In the next few paragraphs, I will explain the basis of using philosophy in education and how a philosophical education can benefit both the student and teacher.
What does it mean to be educated by philosophy? A prime example of students being educated by philosophy appears in Jacques Ranciere’s work, entitled “The Ignorant Schoolmaster.” In …show more content…
I believe that it is one in which the student is allowed to think for themselves, without constant prompt and guidance from their teachers. Especially in younger grades, educators often make the mistake of providing too much help and too much guidance for their students. When students are given too much prompt and guidance, there is not room for them to think freely about a topic. For this reason, many teachers are now utilizing more open-ended questions rather than detailed rubrics and prompts to assess their students. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that there is more and more freedom in regards to assignments and the parameters we are given are less detailed and constricting. This is beneficial for students because it gives us the freedom to think more for ourselves and our grades are more based off of how we demonstrate our knowledge and less about how well we can follow a specific set of parameters. A philosophical education gives students the freedom to express themselves, helping to give them a distinct sense of autonomy and independence. By offering a philosophical education to students, the students begin to rely less on the teacher and begin to think for