Dewey, a man ahead of his time

I think Dewey was a man ahead of his time. He was a man that believed in social responsibility long before performance standards!! "I believe that the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child's powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself. . . he is stimulated to act as a member of a unity, to emerge from his original narrowness of action and feeling . . . Through the responses which others make to his own activities he comes to know what these mean in social terms."

I am teaching at a new school, which focuses on involvement of the entire school community (students, staff, parents, community, band, etc.) This is something Dewey felt was important.
"I believe that much of present education fails because it neglects this fundamental principle of the school as a form of community life. The teacher is not in the school to impose certain ideas or to form certain habits in the child, but is there as a member of the community to select the influences which shall affect the child and to assist him in properly responding to these influences.I believe that the discipline of the school should proceed from the life of the school as a whole and not directly from the teacher."

Dewey is probably rolling in his grave with the Ministry's focus on testing (FSAs, provincials in grade 10 and 12).
"I believe that all questions of the grading of the child and his promotion should be determined by reference to the same standard. Examinations are of use only so far as they test the child's fitness for social life and reveal the place in which he can be of the most service and where he can receive the most help."

I, too, believe that an effective school is a school community. Everyone can be a contributor to the success of a school and the students.
I am also an advocate for social responsibility. I feel sad and discouraged at the way I see some children and youth act and treat people and property. Respect and responsibility are key words in my vocabulary. I believe that I can teach my students to develop and practise respectful, responsibile, kind and caring behaviours.