experiences

The aim of this essay is to demonstrate how the educational model of philosophy for children (P4C) can function as a powerful pedagogical tool within the college classroom. It might challenge students to consider philosophical concepts in new contexts, allow them to reflect on their own childhood and consider their philosophical growth, provide them with tools for thinking philosophically with children in the future (as caregivers or educators), or provide philosophical concepts greater vibrancy through narrative or illustration. More specifically, in my own teaching, it has proven to be an effective pedagogical strategy for tackling antiracist and decolonial themes. In the following, I will outline how I have designed teaching methods and course assignments that have interfused my expertise in philosophy of childhood and/or P4C with the fields of Jewish studies, philosophy of race, and critical race theory, the result of which has produced both a dynamic scholarly dialogue and a rich educational environment. Incorporating P4C methods into the college classroom—such as the use of children’s books as a form of philosophical inquiry has played a pivotal role in developing of community of mutual inquiry where students learn from each other and even I as the professor have learned from my students.