I’ve had some awesomely thought-provoking email conversations with a couple of gals lately. We’ve been discussing education, and the how and why of it.
A few years ago, I was introduced to a new way of thinking about education that shook me up and left me feeling dizzy with glee: Instead of teaching the children everything we think they need to know by a certain age, why not teach them to love learning? If they love learning and know how to learn, then they can continue their education far beyond K-12 and even college.
Children are born loving to learn, don’t you agree?
Unfortunately, much of modern academia strips children of this gift, leaving them disillusioned, listless, frustrated, and bored. They can’t wait to put down those school books at 18 and never pick one up again. Or they leave college frustrated that they wasted all that time and money on a career they’ve realized they dislike, but don’t think they can do anything else. This is not just “regular school” specific, of course. Many homeschoolers leave their home school and never look back at books or learning again, too.
Why? Because the learning process, as they knew it, was absolutely boring.
Letting go of the textbooks and the “shoulds,” we can instead notice education as it shows up in real life…
…as well as through great literature, well-written music, inspiring art, and through many other mediums. By offering up an interesting education, learning becomes fun and the child keeps his gift from God: a love of learning.
I’d like to know what you think.
I think a huge problem in the school system is that they “Teach to the test”. It seems to be basically memorization. My kids are in public school, but they’re still young enough that they’re not to that level yet.
I agree with Will Smith; you can learn anything from books if you take the time to really think about and absorb what you read. My kids are still excited about learning and I hope to keep them that way.
I was so bored in school, but I am a compulsive reader so I read all my textbooks and learned that way. If I see something written down, I remember it better that way, anyway.
I think one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is inspiring their curiosity. Ever notice how, when in school, curiosity is squelched unless it’s focused on the subject at hand and a desired response? Hmmmm…. As an adult, I believe we squelch our own curiosity a lot of the time. We are so brainwashed to think that whatever peaks our interest for the moment is not important and that we must stay focused on what we are “SUPPOSED” to do! Argh. I wish my education had involved more freedom for thought processes.
Yes…the Will Smith article ROCKS! It’s nice to have a public figure who has taken the time to learn and speak out about what our (government’s) idea of education lacks. If only there were more like him! :0)
I’m sure there are MANY people who could/would benefit from your shared ideas and experiences!!! ;0)
There are some great educational websites out there too!
Of course, you know I agree with you totally on this issue! Our children learn the best when we let them continue to love learning. They do it so well naturally!
This is exactly the reason I decided to homeschool my daughter!
I love reading about others that feel the same way we do about homeschooling. My husband and I repeat to ourselves all the time that “if we can teach them to read and to love learning” that we’ve done what we set out to do and what most people seem to lack. I see so many grown adults that have no curiosity about new subjects, never read a book, and have little idea how our country works.
The Will Smith article is great. He gets it. If you want to do something you need to have the tools to set out and do it. Passing 13 years of reading, writting, and math are not the end all. There is so much to learn other than the basics and in a home setting that can really be exciting. With only a few children to teach (four in our case) I can really hone in on what my kids are excited about. For instance, we found a toad in our yard the other day. The girls wanted to know what kind of toad he was, if we could make a nicer place for him to live in our garden, what he eats, where toads live, etc. We used math to figure out how long it would take to have 100 toads in a pond. We learned science when talked habitat, food, and reproduction. We used English and technology to look information up in books and on the internet. My kids are learning how to learn more and I can’t see how we can wrong.
I think that inspiring a love of learning is definitely the way to go, and one of the best ways of doing that is through practical application. Like Jenn mentioned above, not just reading about a toad in a book, but taking care of the toad, “experiencing” it and using that as a springboard for other lessons on math, science, etc. You remember the lessons because they apply. It’s not just memorizing facts for when you’re quizzed on them later.
I was really impressed with Will Smith’s comments. He is absolutely right in his approach to education.
I wrote to some of you (all, I hope?) individually, but I wanted to say again, thank you for weighing in on this. I just love what you all wrote! You’re all such an encouragement to me. It’s easy to think, “Oh, I’m messing them up. Maybe we should just grab a textbook.” Of course, around here that thought lasts until a lizard slithers by the window and we all HAVE to go see. 🙂
Amen. I have found that I don’t need to teach my kids to love learning, they are all born already loving it. The typical school experience can kill that love. It’s my job to preserve it, even if that means the kids still can’t read by age five. Or six. Or seven! (I could keep going!) If they want to know how to read, they will pick it up waaaaaay faster than if I want them to and they aren’t a bit interested. The Moore’s have some great books on this subject.
Loved the article on Will Smith. Thank youf or sharing.