By Sasha Himeno-Price

Last week was a time of firsts. It was the first week of classes for the first cohort of the new Masters program, Progressive Philosophy and Pedagogy. Unique to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Education, students will work to create a better society through their work with children, schools, and communities. Although we intended for the summer session to occur face-to-face, we will be meeting and getting to know each other through Zoom because of Covid restrictions. 

This summer, 11 students will be taking two classes: Philosophy with Children and Curriculum Leadership K-14, taught by the program’s co-directors, Dr. Amber Makaiau and Dr. Chad Miller. These classes will offer an introduction to curriculum development from the perspective of progressive philosophers and educators and philosophy for children (p4c). I am working in this program as an intern, so while I am not an official student in this program, I have the privilege of attending and participating in the classes. 

I was raised in Hawai‘i and attended Hanahau'oli School, a small progressive elementary school in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. After high school, I worked in Hanahau‘oli’s after-school care program where I experienced teaching in a progressive education environment. I love progressive education because of its emphasis on the whole child and the importance of reflection. As a child who went to a progressive school, I didn’t realize how important reflection was but grew up constantly doing it and learning how to meaningfully reflect. I use these skills daily, whether reflecting on a class or just generally about something in my life. 

I am currently a Masters in Public Policy candidate at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, concentrating in Children, Youth, and Family policy. My work has been focused on education policy and programs within this system. In this Masters program, internships are highly encouraged to practice and learn policy-related skills. I am grateful to be a part of this new Progressive Philosophy and Pedagogy program as an intern where I can learn more about using philosophy and progressive teachings in the classroom. Initially, I was unclear at the intersection between policy work and this program but knew that I wanted to be involved in this program and that this opportunity had the best fit for what I wanted to spend my summer doing. However, as I attend more classes and get immersed in the readings, I believe that progressive education is a movement that is building, starting not only with the Masters program but also in schools around the world. Much of policy work is creating, building, and sustaining a movement, so I am excited to see this being done with the first cohort of the Progressive Philosophy and Pedagogy Masters candidates and actively participate in this program. 

This week of classes was a great introduction to intellectual safety, the community ball, and the Good Thinker’s Toolkit. We participated in our first Plain Vanilla Inquiry where we discussed using Plain Vanilla Inquiry as a method for rehabilitation in prison systems. Through this process, we learned that it is okay to be more confused and have more questions than what we started with. All of these are important lessons for me personally, as I enter into the non-linear and often confusing world of policy work in education!

We will be documenting class experiences over the remaining five weeks so please subscribe to this blog here. In addition, we are on Twitter so please follow us to stay updated on events and blog posts. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sasha Himeno-Price is currently a Masters of Public Policy candidate at the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Her focus is in Child and Family policy, specifically education policy and increasing access to high-quality education. Outside of classes, Sasha enjoys spending time with her friends and family and walking Biskit, her recently adopted dog from the Humane Society.