Theories of Childhood, Second Edition (Carol Garhart Mooney) / quote 13 of 70
Progressive teaching demands more planning, not less
Dewey was concerned that many teachers of his time were claiming to be part of progressive education merely because they departed from more traditional approaches. He recognized the danger in moving away from one direction without clearly understanding the new direction one wanted to follow. He also thought this was a very common pattern among educators. He believed there were teachers who were drawn to progressive education because they thought it would be easier. He knew that some teachers used the new ideas as justification for improvising or allowing children to choose their experiences, uninhibited by teacher planning or direction. Dewey believed that the path to quality education is to know the children well, to build their experiences on past learning, to be organized, and to plan well. He also believed that the demands of this new method make observing, documenting, and keeping records of classroom events much more important than when traditional methods are used.