Ms. Lam's little Educator Journal

In the Fall of 2009, I completed my Bachelors degree in American Studies and Philosophy at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. In American Studies, I learned about different aspects of American culture and history. The classes I took gave me a better perspective and understanding of how cultural and historical influences are reflected in the needs of America today. In comparison, my studies in Philosophy focused on foreign historical literature and their cultures. I found an inspiring class called “Philosophy for Children”, also known as P4C. I took P4C for one year starting from practical theory to practicum at Waikiki Elementary school, working with children from kindergarteners to sixth graders. I believe that children need and want a safe environment to share their life. P4C helped me recognize one of the unique abilities of children – their sense of wonder. In the discussions during P4C, children often came up with “out of the box” answers. P4C is a class that taught me to cultivate children’s sense of wonder through insightful discussions and meaningful exploration of knowledge. I also learned in P4C to encourage children’s sense of wonder and to provide them a safe and an intellectual way to question various topics.