While education deals with very concrete facts, figures, dates, concepts, thoughts and ideas, it’s also important to note that not everyone learns in the same way, nor do they always arrive at the same place at the same time. This means that education is a much broader topic than we might expect itself, and that gives us room for a healthy and interesting discussion.
For instance, many people have managed to do very well in the academic system, while others may struggle in school, leave, then ply their hand at a craft they were born to partake in. Education is intimately tied to success, but just what the education is and how it’s delivered can be up for debate. Of course, for efficiency’s sake the schooling system, despite all of its flaws, is quite good.
But how can we learn more about education and the process of our learning, and what implements should both students, teachers and professors consider should they hope to enjoy their best approach? It’s worth asking these questions. So, let’s consider them:
Experience
It’s essential to have practical experiences in order to explore and confirm our educational material. For instance, study trips are regularly used by faculties and students alike to ensure that certain lessons are more adequately given, or that the theory given in the classroom can be confirmed in actuality. Team building trips, museum visits, even zoo attendances can help children to young adults learn about the most important practical knowledge we all have to face in the real world, and to that end, the experience can prove to be quite enjoyable.
Passion
Without passion, education simply becomes an artificial chore, at least to some extent. While we can learn without interest, it’s hard to retain that information or to properly contextualize it. We can likely remember some lessons from our schooling days, and may have forgotten entire modules taken in other subjects. This goes to show that in order to begin learning, we must curate some fascination and interest. The only way you’re going to learn Russian, for instance, is if you fall in love with the culture and hope to understand it. It’s why so many classically trained chefs head to France to learn advanced cuisine, and then end up learning the language. Passion begets education, in all things.
Empathy
Empathy can also be a great indicator of education. For instance, reading and studying literature requires the ability to empathize with the themes and to imagine what life may have been like then. Someone studying microbial science may wish to help populations with infectious disease control one day. A mathematician will find true beauty and art in the equations they have to curate, and from there, we adopt and develop our curiosity naturally. Empathy doesn’t necessarily mean sympathy, but rather the ability to understand and adapt to the purpose of a craft, and to view it as our own.
With these insights, we can gain further understanding of what education means, and how to best approach it in our own lives.
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links