The Grumpy Old Teacher Blog on August 16, 2007, mentions a motto he has posted on his classroom wall:
"Are you stuck? Good, now you can get down to some REAL learning!"
In today's school environment, all learners, students and teachers alike, often just want the answers. We don't like to take the time to struggle with information, to search out deep answers, to try to figure things out on our own. We want it the first time through, spelled out, with complete, detailed directions. Problem solving? We want the steps! We are sometimes the victims of our 'gold-star' past, when as good little students we earned the gold stars on all of our papers.
"If at first you don't succeed..." What? Ask for better directions? Heaven forbid if we ask others to "Try, Try Again!" I sometimes find myself frustrated with others who want students to become independent learners, but want detailed, step-by-step directions before trying something new themselves.
So, are you stuck? Good! Now YOU can get down to some REAL LEARNING!
:) L.
1 comment:
So, I am stuck. Maybe I had better get down to some real learning. Don't we wish students would feel that way and want to move on. The latest issue of "edutopia" has an article about a school system in Alaska that really has the students working on their own to educate themselves. I wonder if that's the path Abraham Lincoln took? And aren't there other famous and not so famous people who educate themselves?
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