Fostering Individuality Valuing Conformity Summary

Promoting Individuality Many school have different way to teaching children. A lot of research had be conducted to find the best way to teach. Most research will agree that self directed learning and play are the best way children learn. According to Dorothy W. Hewes, who wrote an article on her philosophy behind teaching children, there need to be a balance of self-directed learning and memorization. In Dorothy W. Hewes article, Fostering Individuality, Valuing Uniformity, she describe how she believe is the best was to teach children. Her philosophies come from real-life experiences dating back to her childhood. Both of her mother and grandmother were teachers. They allowed her to experience the world around her through her interest. Later in life, she wanted to be a preschool teacher, but was told there were not many jobs available. So, she joined the Marines, while in the Marines she experienced an authoritarian system. She felt that this way of teaching was not beneficial of anyone

Here she learned from the teachings of Erik Erikson and Ruth Benedict. She came to the conclusion that the best way for children to learn was through memorization and self-directed learning. This creates schools that are a place to learn and a community. I feel that her view on school is very appropriate. Children especially younger children need to explore their world through play. This is the ultimate way children learn. However, when children grow older there needs to be more structure in the way children learn. There always should be a balance between memorization and self-directed exploration. When children are given the opportunity to study what they find interesting, they are going to retain and take more away from the lesson. It’s important for teachers to understand this concepts, so their students can get the most out of their