My early education was not what you might call successful. I didn’t take well to being told what I should learn or what I should spend my time doing. To say I was a difficult child to teach I think misses the lesson my experience can teach the world.
It wasn’t until I got to university that I showed any sign of being enthusiastic about learning. Even then I can’t say I was a model student. I’ve always been late to everything, and being fully in charge of my own schedule for the first time didn’t help that track record. But I did start enjoying most of the classes I was attending. For the first time ever my tardiness did not usually come from a desire to be anywhere but there.
So what’s the lesson?
I came out of school with reasonably decent grades but I can’t say I did much to get them. I think for most part my grades reflect a baseline of what I can achieve if I don’t try. For what should be obvious reasons this brings me a certain amount of satisfaction.
For my teachers and parents it was understandable frustrating. It was clear I was capable of more but no amount of encouragement was ever going to get me to study things I didn’t care to learn. I think they took that on board at some point and stopped trying so hard to get through to me.
Different story now, sort of. I still don’t like being told what to learn, but I do love learning. I now consider myself someone who knows a little about a lot and a lot about a little, and I like being someone like that.
I prefer practical over theoretical; I don’t learn if I don’t do, repeatedly. If I’m imterested in something or want to do something that requires me to know something I don’t already, I learn quickly and well. Tell me I need to know spmething and I need to find a compelling context so I want to learn it. It’s taken decades but I finally underdtand how to encourage myself to learn.
Ok, great, but what’s the lesson?
The way most schools work isn’t effective for everyone. This is not news. I came across some presentations by Ken Something where he makes the same assertion in a far more compelling way backed up with statistics.
I don’t know what the solution is. Certain subjects need to be covered, like English, Maths, and Science, but maybe the required parts need to be revised, or maybe the consequences of not doing the work shouldn’t be so harsh. If I had been able to choose what I learned about, after a basic introduction to all subjects, I have no doubt I would have learned more than I did having the curriculum stuffed down my throat.
In this increasingly online world I think we’re still focused on learning the traditional subjects. I’ve been out of the education loop for a while but I don’t see signs of childrens’ education moving past the “traditional values” despite the world moving on. Certain things are important, but are they still important enough to constantly fight against the modern world’s destractions while attempting to educate the citizens of tomorrow?