Question of the Week
Monday, January 29th, 2007There’s a popular movement in education today that stresses “authentic” experiences as being the most valuable. I adhere to this philosophy myself. There are some experiences that are difficult to have in the classroom. I studied Shakespeare in the classroom, but learned what I really needed to know on the stage. I studied education in the classroom, but learned what I really needed to know in – well, okay, the classroom, but not as a student.
Some subjects we learn in school have always been practical classes – opportunities for authentic practice of the subject being learned. Music, art, and gym come to mind. Most drama classes have a practical component. But did you take a driver’s education class in high school? Did it prepare you for the road? When was the last time you reviewed your notes from that sex education class you took in junior high?
There is a limit to what can be learned in the classroom. But we still have classrooms, and I haven’t heard any arguments for eliminating them. So there must be something going on there that we find valuable.
What’s the most important thing you learned in the classroom? Was it how to read? Long division? How to be a good citizen? How the inside of a frog is configured?
I think the most important thing I learned as a student in a classroom was how to trust my own instincts. I know this sounds like something best learned in practice, but for me, it happened over the course of a number of practical classes under the guidance of experienced and compassionate teachers.
How about you?
What’s the most important thing you learned as a student in a classroom?