The Role Of Caring In Education

The Role of Caring in Education

Some scholars argue that teaching is an art while others categorize it as a science, regardless of the inclination, education is undeniable a part of the humanities because knowledge is closely attached to our human experience. Throughout this course, we have been studying philosophers like Dewey and Freire who recognized not only the importance of individual experience but also accepted society as a frame for education. Understanding that teaching and learning are social processes and identifying a duty to be agents for social justice, how can we, as future educators, build a community of learners and encourage a collective perspective? For philosophers Nel Noddings and Ann Margaret Sharp the answer was clear:

In her terms, a caring relation is a reciprocal relationship where both the carer and the cared-for are actively involved. While Noddings clearly stated that there was not a specific formula for caring, she did propose a descriptive framework. According to Noddings, caring starts with engrossment where the carer directs his or her attention to the cared for, and he or she is open to truly listening to and understanding the other. Then follows motivational displacement, which is the stage where the carer experiences a sincere empathy for the other’s needs. Finally, there has to be reciprocity where the cared-for acknowledges receiving this care. Once we understand this outline, Noddings urges that “teachers not only have to create caring relations in which they are the carers, but that they also have a responsibility to help their students develop the capacity to care” (Lewis, Grinberg, & Laverty, 2009, p. 509). Therefore, teachers serve as caring role models to their students and, ideally, the students will grow to be caring human beings towards other people, and towards ideas and objects, as