My Phil

If I had to put each of the four philisophies in order from most to least important (to me) they would look like this:
1. Pragmatism
2. Existentialism
3. Realism
4. Idealism

As percents:
1. Pragmatism 65%
2. Existentialism 20%
3. Realism 12%
4. Idealism 3%

Those percentages will probably seem way off once we've discussed this a little more. I do remember feel a definite pull towards pragmatism. I actually started getting a worried when I was reading about realism and idealism because they didn't seem like me at all. I think pragmatism is the closest to my school of thought because I believe that skills are more important than facts and figures. That whole "teach a man to fish" saying really holds true for me. As a student myself, I'm completely aware that I'm not very intelligent, but I have the kind of intelligence that tells me how to find out and figure out the things I need in order to get through life. I am an expert google-er. I think everyone should be. You wouldn't think that it's necessarily a skill, but when you are looking for something on the web and it's not there, I'll be able to find it. Pragmatists seems like people who live day-to-day. There is no point in the looking towards the future or the past; there is only how you're going to deal with today.

I chose existentialism second. I would love to spend all day giving students advice and talking about their problems, unfortunately, society dictates that I teach them English instead. An existential society seems to only be able to exist if everyone is participating. It would be very hard to let go of material values if no one else was.


POST CLASS
After the lengthy discussions we had in class, and also the quiz we took, I can understand why I came out as a total existential. I think it's one thing to think like an existential but another thing altogether to teach like one. I don't think I would ever really be free to teach in an existential way because we continue to live in an idealist, realist, and pragmatist society, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure by the time I come out of student teacher, my views will have toned down some, due in part to the teaching environment--the other people I am working with--and in part to rigid state standards and teaching structures. While I was reading the chapter from our textbook on existentialism, I think subconsciously I stayed away from it because there is a certain stigma attached to a person who finds no meaning in life.