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Pedagogic Creed as Foundation: An Approach to Teaching Social Studies Methods

This article describes the evolution of the author's approach to teaching a secondary social studies methods course over an eighteen-year period. Earlier in his career, the author imposed a reflective, issues-centered approach to teaching social studies as the preferred model of teaching. As a result of a combination of his own professional growth and the persistence of a few students who resisted the reflective, issues-centered model, the author revamped the methods course with positive results. The newer iteration of the course involves a deeper exploration of alternative curricular paths through which each prospective teacher is challenged to develop his or her own choice of philosophical orientation and concomitant teaching practices. The author also discusses specific readings, writing assignments, and other course activities used in the methods course. The author concludes that problematizing teachers' pedagogical and curricular choices encourages freedom and experimentation and treats beginning teachers as thoughtful intellectuals engaged in a search for meaningful theory and practice.