How Our Experiences Impact Our Future Learning

Perfect Learning experience

Imagine the perfect learning experience on a skill as a Child. Let’s take maths for example.

It’s your first-ever math lesson and you walk into the classroom and you’re greeted by a kind and gentle teacher. The teacher sits you down and starts by explaining the basic principles and how to apply them. As your fundamental knowledge grows, the teacher slowly introduces some fun challenges. Maybe this is with other kids who are of a similar or slightly advanced level. But everyone in the class is treated as individuals. Yes, some will be faster, more advanced, more practised or simply wired to get it from the outset. However, what the teacher does, and what they are best at, is ensuring the focus is on honing the process of maths. Effort and practice level is judged. Results are seen as a chance for learning. The process feels fun.

Pass or Failure…does not exist. Questions, exploration and reasons do. This child will develop their own intuition and start to be able to apply the basic principles. Confidence is developed enabling them to challenge and find their own path. As the great Leonard Da Vinci, he would spend hours observing and asking questions. A process he recorded in notebooks, which were full of sketches, notes and questions. There were no boundaries.

As the individual grows, they are introduced to new teachers, or peers, who further challenge the individual to master the process. Along the way, there are many setbacks, but these are all seen as chances to learn. A growth mindset, as highlighted in Carols Dweck’s Book mindset, has been slowly crafted; with the individual’s personality /ego not interweaved with any particular result; Learning and developing has been.

Reality

You walk into that classroom, and the teacher scows at you, as you sit there next to your friends. There is a general tension in the air. The teachers are under pressure, by the system, by the parents and by themselves. They can’t teach naturally, adapting to all the individuals, as there is a large curriculum to get through. And this year, Ofsted are due a visit.

Math is introduced as right or wrong. Some will get it, and some won’t. The ones who get it can advance. The ones who don’t, are rounded up and put in a class together. Levels are formed in the head of a child.

“I’m rubbish at maths, I’m in the bottom set”

The belief that they are rubbish at math is reinforced. I have to say not on purpose, but by their peers, parents and teachers around them.

“You know, they are not at the level they should be for their age”.

It’s a human tendency to put people into boxes as quickly as we can. Tests are forced on the child like they are robots. Fun…that boat has sailed. Forced to study to make sure they don’t fall into the F pile. The confidence of the child is thus built on a weak foundation, as it was for me growing up. I had linked the outcome of a test to my self-concept.

“If I pass – I am good.”

“If I fail – I am not.”

Then as soon as that pass (or failure) comes on that big test… the child drops their tools.

 “I am done.”

“I don’t need maths ever again.”

The Child then focuses on the things they are good at or whatever next falls their way. This normally involves not recreating any feelings of failure again. A link between learning and effort has not been created.

Sound Familiar?

Yes? Well, this was my experience anyway. And it has shaped me in how I still feel about certain subjects. But, what can you do to counter this?

1. Help Children see learning as a process rather than an outcome

Carols Dweck’s mindset book describes how the language we use around Children can dramatically impact how they see a situation. Praise children on their effort and the amount of practice rather than on the result. Focusing too much on results builds a weak foundation for their self-concept. Results can’t always be controlled. Effort and practice can be.

In his book “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin, he talks about the idea of going back to basics in order to develop a solid foundation that future learning can be built upon. “A profound mastery of the basic skill set” Waitzkin argues will serve an individual far more than knowing little bits about everything. In the example of Math, this could be learning addition & subtraction, and the dreaded timetables really well. Knowing an essential skill well will enforce the self-concept of “I can do this”, rather than “Oh, I remember learning that, but for the life, I can’t remember it.”

2. Go back to basic

In his book “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin, he talks about the idea of going back to basics in order to develop a solid foundation that future learning can be built upon. “A profound mastery of the basic skill set” Waitzkin argues will serve an individual far more than knowing little bits about everything. In the example of Math, this could be learning addition & subtraction, and the dreaded timetables really well. Knowing an essential skill well will enforce the self-concept of “I can do this”, rather than “Oh, I remember learning that, but for life, I can’t remember it.”

3. Look for different teachers or resources.

Teachers have a hard job. Many members of my family are teachers, and I feel they are some of the most important people in society. However, like any other relationship, sometimes other people are just better at getting through to you. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he states that Children who are exposed to better-funded schools, will have access to better-experience teachers and thus the child progresses a lot faster than those who don’t. Gladwell provides multiple examples of how an environment can impact a child’s learning. 

We don’t all have access to better teachers or great education facilities, but, if a child starts to believe with practice they can become better. Then nowadays, with sites like youtube, or Brilliant you can tailor learning. Seeing if there are community groups or organising a group of children together to start a learning group are just other ways that a different type of learning can be introduced to a child’s life. Whatever, the method, It has to be better than a Child believing “I Just can’t do this.”

4. Develop their natural learning style

We all learn differently. How we can remember something, but other bits of information just do not stick. As I described in my previous in my post, there are 4 styles of learning, and it’s the combination of these that makes up an individual’s learning experience. Peter Drunker’s management gurus book Managing oneself, states that a critical skill is learning what learning style best suits you as an individual. As a child, I never thought or was directed to even consider that I might be at a disadvantage that I was reading, instead of listening or listening instead of doing.  

I believe there is no one way to learn because, at different times, some methods work better than others. However, in getting a child to observe, and start to jot down in a learning diary, questions such as:  

• What worked well?
• Did I understand it after listening, reading, doing or when I  drew it out?
• What part do they remember most from what I learnt? Why do I remember this the most?

Will allow an induvial to develop a feeling for how best they learn, which can be revisited from time to time to see if it still applies.

5. Let them have fun.

Finally- learning should be fun. I know life is not easy and not everything can be fun. There will be times when a child needs to know how to deal with pressure and when results are judged. However, to be able to build skills, spending more time than not is a critical element. If at the start, learning is fun and exciting, then the child is more likely to want to do it, than not. Quiz, games, and flashcards are great for this. The fun should never stop, and then the learning won’t either.

No situation is perfect, but there are always small steps which can be taken that will change the course of a child’s learning.

This article was written by Tom William, author of the first in the series The Cat Mouse Adventure to Cheese Paradise.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes