Essentialism

Essentialism is the basis of education, all students must have the same core knowledge which shall be taught, without deviation, by their teachers. The movement started in the 1930s by William Bagley, who thought that education was becoming too “child centered.”

True educational essentialism is about the teacher dominating the classroom. I believe that teaching methods need to be more fluid-like. Teachers need to work with the students, not command them like a Navy ship. It is too rigid. Society is all about working together to achieve one common goal, and that is how I think the classroom atmosphere should be. Everyone needs to work together and support each other, because that’s how life is. Everyone is different, and society is constantly changing. Settling with the same rigid principles is not going to do anyone any good, and society will not progress. The classroom shouldn’t just be about book learning, but about life. Though I’m certainly not saying that a teacher shouldn’t be in control of the classroom, but act more as a guide than a dictator.
However I cannot disagree that all students should be taught the same core curriculum. Without common knowledge, there is no way we can work together. But just teaching them algebra, english, and history isn't enough. Students need to learn how to apply what they are learning, and essentialism doesn't allow any room for that.

Essentialism treats education as if it were black and white. It only approves of the usage of proven teaching methods and sticks to them. That may have worked back in the 1930s-1940s, but the world has changed so much since then. And the world will continue to change. The way students learn should reflect that.

SOURCES:
-http://degrees.excite.com/education/programs/education-teaching/essentialism-in-education/index.php
-http://tiny.cc/bo67a
-McNergney, Robert F., Joanne M. McNergney, and Robert F. McNergney. Education: the Practice and Profession of Teaching. Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon, 2007.