Teachers should help students find their own path

Grishma RajBlog0 CommentsFacebookTwitterWhatsAppShare

Words such as “learning”, “lifelong learning”, and “learning for life” do not exactly spark ideas of excitement for many people .

But one important thing that differentiates us as human beings, and enables us as the most advanced species, is our profound ability to learn And as teachers one cannot make students learn, but only moderate their learning process: either encouraging them to learn or discouraging them away from learning.

So why have some adults learned to hate learning? Why do some adults neglect learning? Why do some adults turn their nose up at learning, and say it is just not for me? This is normal, but this is not natural!

Here can be 5 rules about learning:

Knowledge is nothing by itself

Most knowledge “learned” in schools and universities is forgotten soon after the exam .If we forget what we are learning why bother learning in the first place?

A classic perspective by some teachers is to see the students’ heads as empty vessels where the teachers will pour information into. But these facts come in one ear and go out the other (in time). Learned today, gone tomorrow. Is this a familiar story in your experience in education? Moreover, facts are useless for living unless you have developed the skills to use them, and also have developed the skills to obtain more facts as and when you need them.

The most important thing to learn in schools is learning how to learn

The sooner a student can learn without a teacher holding their hand the better. Once a student learns to learn for themselves, and develop a confidence in their own learning, they can enjoy the learning process. Those students that have relied on “hand-holding” and “spoon-feeding” throughout their education experience are less likely to develop the skills necessary to become independent-lifelong learners; quite simply, because they have never learned how to learn.

Learning to learn takes place within 3 domains of learning

Students can develop learning confidence, and learning competence, in 3 different domains. Clearly, they must develop students learning abilities in all of these domains.

1. Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge)
2. Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (attitude or self)
3. Psychomotor: manual or physical (skills)

Rather than spending time spoon-feeding and hand-holding, over time, teachers must teach students how they can learn for themselves, and help students discover the incredible learning ability we all have as human beings.