When School Gets in the Way of Education

 

“Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.”
–Mark Twain 

I think Sam Clemens knew a thing or two about education, or at least the world around him. He may have ended his formal education after the 5th grade, but to receive honorary degrees from Yale, the University of Missouri, and Oxford has to mean something, right? Though he so strongly believed in education, he also believed in learning outside of the classroom, which is evident in all his accomplishments.

Even for today’s students, school can get in the way of education. Instead of learning, students come to class, space out while their professors lecture, then leave having learned nothing and retained very little if anything at all.

So what exactly causes school to get in the way of education? Here are some of our thoughts.

• Asking students to memorize instead of learn. You might not outright ask your students to memorize a sheet of notes, but you imply it when you give them specific notes and test only on those notes. Students know they only have to remember that information for a week and then quickly let it escape their brains.
• Along the lines of number one, teaching to your tests alone limits the amount of learning your students do.  When they realized all they have to learn is 1 + 1 = 2 to get the right answer on the exam, they don’t care to learn the reasons why or how 1 + 1 = 2.
• Emotionless teaching can have quite the impact on students.  When you seem to strongly dislike the subject you’re teaching, your students follow suit.  Why should they care if you don’t?
• Not interacting or engaging with students during class time only hurts them in the end.  Many teachers fall into the slump of coming to work, saying what they’ve prepared to say, then leaving.  For many students, this is what school is.  But, this classroom is hardly beneficial for students.

The good news? You have the power to help school not only be a place to learn, but to inspire your students to learn outside of the classroom and become life long learners.  But how?  Here are a few of our favorite ideas.

• Take classroom learning outside of the classroom.  Go on mini field trips, show students how to find the best resources at the library, or simply have class in a place that relates to what you’re teaching.  Mix things up and show your students that learning can take place anywhere and it doesn’t have to be boring.
• Let students add their own personal touches.  Some students are better with pen an paper, others feel more comfortable typing their notes on their laptops. Offer some freedom like this during class time.  Also allow your students a bit of freedom, if possible, when it comes to writing or studying topics that interest them.  Writing a paper on something you’re passionate about (or at least somewhat interested in) is much less painful than writing one on a topic you care very little for.
• Encourage your students to discover their passions.  You might be surprised how their passion for something in one area will increase their interest in other areas.
• Encourage your students to learn something – anything – outside of the classroom.  The excitement of learning something new and interesting can carry over to learning other things that your students might not always find as exciting.