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The Philosophy of Christian Education
With Some Observations Germane to the Teaching of High School English
(Part 2 of 5)
Part 2: The Nature of the Learner
The unbelieving world promotes the notion that man is inherently good; therefore, he is capable of rational thought, and if he errs, he does so either because of his genes or because of undesirable influences in his environment. However, the teacher needs to understand the nature of the student. First, he should know that his student is a spiritual being created in the image of God, designed by God to have dominion over the earth, but he is a fallen creature, prone to sin. Because his heart is evil and desperately wicked, his ability to absorb knowledge will be flawed. The teacher must help his student to subdue sinful tendencies such as apathy and sloth and encourage him to honor God with his mind. Secondly, the teacher should know that his student is a developing being who is constantly maturing. Thirdly, he should know his student is a unique being with a specific learning style. Fourthly, he should know his student is a being with needs that must be addressed (Kienel et al 161-68). Whatever needs the student may have, however, it is incumbent on the teacher to treat him as a responsible person who can know and evaluate and choose to act. It is axiomatic that, if the teacher trains his students in righteousness and provides a challenging environment in the classroom, they will be encouraged to fulfill their God-given potential.
In a helpful essay entitled "The Will to Learn," Jerome Bruner observes that children will inevitably learn because they have a natural curiosity, a desire to excel, a need to emulate a positive role model, and a willingness to reciprocate or engage in a challenging discussion on any given topic. The teacher understands and capitalizes on these traits in maturing young people.
It is important to understand how students develop cognitively. In a seminal essay delivered in 1947 to Oxford University undergraduates, Dorothy Sayers examined the development of the learner. She identified three stages that she labeled Poll-parrot, Pert, and Poetic. At the Poll-parrot stage is the elementary child who revels in memorization, rhythms, and chants; the Pert stage is that of the Middle School student who lives only to argue and contradict; the Poetic stage is the final stage of the high schooler who wants to express himself eloquently and to write polished prose (154). A student's cognitive development should be taken into account as the teacher plans his lessons. The high school English teacher, for instance, will accommodate the high school student's independent, self-centered orientation and assign frequent oral reports and essays.
Notes
Bruner, Jerome S. "The Will to Learn." The Norton Reader. New York: Norton, 1969. 348-59.
Kienel, Paul A., Ollie E. Gibbs and Sharon R. Berry. Philosophy of Christian School Education. Colorado Spring, CO: Association of Christian Schools International, 1995.
Sayers, Dorothy. "The Lost Tools of Learning." Rpt. in Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: An Approach to Distinctively Christian Education. Wheaton, IL: Crossway books, 1991. 145-64.
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