Learning Stuff vs. The Education System

[bria]

Okay, I have a question for all of you, with a longish intro

Comments

[anonymous]

I too hated school. I wasn't really sure why, except I hated being told how to learn and what I should be learning. I was learning useless information that I felt I already understood. I wanted to go much deeper. Really learn about philosophy, law, world issues, etc. I also hated the environment. I hated how teachers can and sometimes do publicly humiliate their students in front of their peers. "Come up to the board and put down your answers to numbers 1-5". Blah.
I would have loved to be taught one on one by my teachers. Maybe even have one teacher for the duration of the lessons I needed to learn. I think it's important to be helped to find out how you learn and then encouraged to go on your own to further your education.
I have so much more to say but I have an appointment to go to. More soon...

[autosuggestion]

i went to a private school up until grade three and it was the best educational experience of my life. then i went to public school and i swear that's when my mental health problems started to show. maybe they were there before, i don't know, but that's definitely when i first remember being terribly depressed.

it's something i think about a lot, especially since my dad does a lot of education activism and owns a couple oxford centres. i had some truly wonderful teachers throughout my years in the public system, people who've forever changed my life - but the production line mentality soured me to the point where i wasn't sure if i wanted to go to university

[bria]

I really, really wanted to learn Cree when I was in school, but it meant I wasn't allowed to do something else, so I had to make a choice. Bah. Well, now I'm out of school, and I can learn whatever I want. :-p

Wow, that class sounds great. Sounds like you might have lots more ideas. If you feel like writing more here, please go ahead, otherwise I think I will get you in person sometime and interrogate you... ;-) Does the teacher of that class publish anything, or do anything outside the university that I could read or go to?

[autosuggestion]

i have tonnes to say about this stuff but i'm too lazy to type it all out now but i think talking about it would be interesting. for the last little bit i've been thinking more of the importance placed on school to begin with, rather than what happens in the classroom (or wherever). i truly feel like it's been drilled into my head for so long that "education" makes you a better person that it's very difficult for me to meet any of my needs if they interfere with grades. right now i'm seriously thinking about dropping out but if i did my parents would murder me even if it's what i want/need. being smart and not having an "education" is a "waste" - and i don't want to be judged based on four years spent at a crappy liberal arts school in the middle of nowhere.

anyway these are totally my own issues and really have nothing to do with your initial post but i'm drunk and mad at my housemates so i'm leaving everyone lj comments. and i will totally come up with some stuff from the native studies department if you're interested.

[rottenfruit]

Well, you probably saw my most recent entry, but anyway

[bria]

You seem like a very "doing" kind of person. I guess schools don't respect that kind of smartness. I'm not specifically driven that way, but I can feel the gaps where I had to scrounge for "doing" learning myself. Thank whatever power in the universe sent me my dad, who was probably the only person in my life to regularly encourage this part of me.

I bet you'd make a great teacher. You could subvert the education system from the inside very easily, but I bet it would be frustrating for you to deal with the limits they would put on you. A montessori type school might be cool too. It's sad that they are out of reach for most kids.

I want to know more about what you would do, how you would teach, if you had the freedom to make all the choices yourself, and the support of people who knew your strengths and believed in you. What does your fantasy classroom look like?

Re: your answer, part un.

[bria]

They did the same thing to me, tested me, decided I was smart, but completely failed to give me any useful information about it, or what it meant for my learning abilities. I don't quite understand why they do this, if they're not going to do anything with it. Shouldn't the testing be to see where you need help in areas, and what areas you're really good at and should be fed lots of fun stuff to learn about?

I never pursued any special "gifted" classes after I moved in grade 8, because they didn't seem to do anything for me that I couldn't do myself, and at my own pace, besides. It was a little different than regular school, but basically just extra work with a smaller class who were all smarter than usual. What on earth do they think special classes are for?

[holdenisdead]

I found the best teachers were the ones who were geniunely interested in what _I_ thought or had to say.

One or two good ones forced me to use my mind and I think everybody needs teachers like that. Simple memorization of facts doesnt make anyone smarter.

Also, the teachers who explained why things were the way they were are good too. I hated it when they just said, DO THIS AND THIS AND YOURE DONE. Without even telling you WHY.

People should be forced to think for themselves in school, through various debates and shit. Thats just what I think.

[bria]

I guess first they'd have to teach logic, as well as how to look at things and question them. I can see why, in the system that exists, they don't want kids learning that kind of thing....