Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of the American Philosophical Association or the Blog of the APA.
My undergraduate philosophy students often enroll in a philosophy class to fill a requirement. However, many of them become philosophy majors by the end of the semester. As an educator, I believe it is imperative to show undergraduates how they are natural philosophers who engage in philosophy everyday. In this post, I share how I engage in a pedagogical method that includes the philosophy for children methodology and how I motivate students to explore their unique philosophical interests through tailored course assignments and course projects. My goal is to deepen pedagogical insight and convey how philosophy professors could consider course projects that they can reevaluate for their own usage.
First, I teach my students about philosophical questioning. My students learn to start with the very basic questions. For instance, if we aim to discuss schooling, then we should attempt to define what a school is. I also introduce my students to the Socratic Questioning method through Meno, a Socratic dialogue written by Plato. Following this, we discuss The Touchstones, a document developed by the faculty at Bergen Community College, which includes core principles that I implement as a part of the class policy. For example, one of The Touchstones reads:
“Speak your truth. You are invited to say what is in your heart, trusting that your voice will be heard and your contribution respected. Your truth may be different from, even the opposite of, what another person in the circle has said. Yet, speaking your truth is simply that. It is not debating with, or correcting, or interpreting what another has said. Own your truth by remembering to speak only for yourself. Using the first person ‘I’ rather than ‘you’ or ‘everyone’ clearly communicates the personal nature of your expression.”
My students and I discuss The Touchstones in depth as we begin to philosophize. I present The Touchstones philosophically rather than as a set of demands. For example, the first Touchstone states,
“Be 100% present, extending and presuming welcome. Set aside the usual distractions of things undone from yesterday, things to do tomorrow. Bring all of yourself to the work. We all learn most effectively in spaces that welcome us. Welcome others to this place and this work, and presume that you are welcomed as well.”
Students discuss what this means philosophically. First, we begin by developing questions about the particular Touchstone. For instance, what does it mean to be 100% present? How can we extend a warm welcome to those that we may not get along with? The Touchstone implies that we should welcome all. Should all be welcomed? What happens if someone is not welcomed? Why would someone not be welcomed? The Touchstones aids the Socratic Questioning as students remain respectful with one another.
Midway through the semester, I ask students to complete two main course projects. First, students write a one paragraph philosophical abstract that focuses on an ethical issue of their choice. The abstract must have a problem, theoretical framework, justification for addressing the problem, and a proposed solution. I provide students with feedback on multiple drafts, giving them numerous chances to strive for an A. My goal is to help students see how they can use philosophy across academic disciplines to tackle issues that are meaningful to them. Several of my students turned their abstracts into conference papers for undergraduate conferences. The second course project is a group assignment that develops based on the interests of the class. In my Introduction to Philosophy courses, students vote on a list of branches of philosophy and “philosophy ofs”. For instance, students may present on Philosophy of Music, Aesthetics, Logic, Philosophy of Religion, etc. In Ethics courses, students vote on a list of ethical and moral issues. Once I place students in a group, I then guide them through philosophical research. My classes usually meet once a week for 2.5 hours. During the last half hour, students work on their group project. I monitor all groups and I assign specific homework for each, which often includes readings. The group projects are usually of stellar quality as students become deeply involved in the project.
By the end of the semester, my philosophy students are often on their way to lifelong philosophy. Many of them become philosophy majors or minors. Regardless, my students frequently tell me that they believe all students should have a philosophy class because philosophy teaches people how to think. My students learn that philosophy provides insight into the thinking process. Everyone should know how to think things through and make decisions. With this in mind, I aim to help all of my students discover and explore the philosophy major.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an Associate Editor for the Blog of the American Philosophical Association. She manages the Teaching Beat and the Work/Life Balance Beat. Her main research projects focuses on how she uses Kuchipudi Indian Classical Hindu dance to educate about Hinduism with postcolonialism in mind. She currently teaches online courses part time in philosophy, religion, and education for several institutions in higher education.
Dr. Sabrina D. MisirHiralall is an editor at the Blog of the APA who currently teaches philosophy, religion, and education courses solely online for Montclair State University, Three Rivers Community College, and St. John’s University.
