Realism Schools Should Produce Students Who Are Well-Rounded

Realism

The universe has a physical reality and I do believe that we must teach the nature of that reality to students. Through experimental science or through hands-on learning, realism should be emphasized in every classroom. Students will have plenty of time on their own to engage their creative and artistic faculties. On the other hand, I do not necessarily agree with the stance that students are merely "minds to be trained." Such a position assumes that all students are the same and that all students learn the same way. Quite the contrary, students have different learning styles. Although the realistic classroom can impart valuable foundations in academic knowledge, the teacher must take care not to label students who don't take well to such an approach.

Ideally, each classroom should include some realism. All classes should include science experiments and instruction in problem-solving. Memorization through rote cannot be overlooked, because there is no other way to make the multiplication tables or vocabulary words completely ingrained in the brain. At the same time, the classes should also stimulate creativity and intellectual freedom. Therefore, the realist classroom has much to offer for the professional educator but the educator should not be only focused on realism when teaching.

Usually, the teacher in a realist classroom is authoritative. The authoritative teacher can help students learn in some situations. Especially for certain cultural groups, authoritative teaching is expected. Authoritative teaching should not be taken to the extreme, when children are not listened to or respected at all.

A realist classroom is firmly rooted in the five physical senses, surrounded by visual reminders of the physical universe. The teacher focuses on material that can be proven through the scientific method: observation and experimentation. Abstract issues are not concentrations of the realist classroom. The three R's are accented, along with physical science. The realist classroom includes visual aids like diagrams of the solar system, of the earth, and charts of the periodic table. The realist classroom might also include animals, plants, and other hands-on materials, as well as materials that can be used in scientific experiments such as computers. A realistic teacher also encourages his or her student to read the classics of literature. Most of us can remember our teachers who introduced us to fundamentals like math and reading. Without that solid background we would be academically disadvantaged. However, realistic classrooms can be unnecessarily restrictive in focusing too much on supposed literature classics and on empirical evidence over the whimsical. Therefore, teachers should be careful to include humor, fun, playtime, and creativity into their teaching time.