"Why do I have to learn this?" Whether teaching Sunday School, multiplication, or Algebra, this is the most common question I have encountered as a teacher. I usually ask in response, "Do you want to know the reason, or are you just complaining? If you are complaining, stop procrastinating; you still have to do the assignment. If you want to know, do the assignment first, and then let's talk about it."
But, of course, that means I have to be ready to discuss the question. To do that, we have to take a look at what the question assumes: A subject must either be useful or enjoyable to be worth studying.
Unfortunately when education is left to Utility and Preference, pressure is placed on teachers and administrators that school, classes, and educational activities must be fun; if they aren't fun, they at least must be useful. And finding the Beauty in learning, the Wonder of relearning with depth, and the Discipline to do the mundane is never developed.
Utility Observations
One of the most common arguments that I have had within the world of education is, "When am I going to use this?" The assumption is that if I am not going to use it, it isn't worth spending time on. Unfortunately it also assumes that we know what we are going to use or need in an unknown and unpredictable future.
However, what we do know for sure is that somewhere down the line we will need to do boring, monotonous, and unfulfilling tasks, that require mental and physical energy that we don't have or don't wish to expend. Much of "adulting" and even parenting is exactly that. How are we to judge while they are in the school-age years which of those skills our children/students will or won't be used?
The question "Will I use this?" as a argument for not studying a subject or topic, does not feed a growth mindset, nor does it instill humility necessary to learn anything. In fact, it often hinders our ability to develop the skill necessary to make the topic useful. Instead, the question de-values things, and sometimes people, that are not useful. It also subtly feeds the consumer mindset that makes the world revolve around my life.
Instead, if we have the mindset that says we will never be able to learn now all that will be useful in the future, we have to keep growing and learning. The question "Will I use this?" is better to evaluate proficiency. It is always good to keep learning, even if we don't every become proficient in a specific area. This is not an argument against proficiency in one area, but instead an argument against limiting ourselves to our areas of proficiency.
Preference Observations
It is normal for people, when encountering something, for our subconscious assesses our preference: do I like it? If we like it, we subconsciously decide that it has value. If we dislike it, we often decide the reverse, or put reservations on its value. Then, when we are asked, "Why do you like it?" we often start talking about who we are, our identity, or the reason behind who we are, our history. So when there is any push back or disagreement, we often feel personally attacked.
The question “Do I enjoy this?” as an argument for not studying a subject or topic, limits our ability to grow no matter the situation. This makes ourselves the judge of the worth of a subject, and not even the rational self, but a very low level of instincts, which have been formed not only by natural personality but also through environment outside my control. If the individual is the grid through which the value of the world should be measured, there is no purpose for education. But there is also very little room for growth, community, or satisfaction with life.
Just like utility, preference plays an important part in education, but it cannot be the deciding factor of what to study. Preference shows us our strengths, and we should use those strengths to help us face our weaknesses. When we look for what we can enjoy in a subject, topic, or even situation, we can develop new skills and knowledge quicker than if we see our dislikes as a weakness, or devalue it as a subject.
So Why Do We Have To Learn This?
I think the best answer for “Why do I have to do this?” is the process of rediscovering Beauty, Wonder, and Self-Discipline.
Beauty is the balance of order and chaos in a complex, nuanced world. Order is beautiful because of the chaos that makes it varied. But we cannot understand chaos without order. Complexity and nuance reminds us that there is more to the world than black and white, right and wrong. Those must exist, and we must know what they are, but to understand Beauty, we must also see everything in between.
Wonder is the attitude that says, “The world is bigger than I have ever thought before!” We cannot have Wonder without humility. But it isn’t the humility that bows its head in shame, instead it looks up with gratitude and delight. Sometimes this comes naturally, but when we realize that it is also something that can be learned, and then take the time to develop the skill of wondering, the world becomes a rich place.
Self-Discipline recognizes that I am not in control, but responsible for my part of the world. It allows me to do what needs to be done, no matter how I feel about it. I must listen and learn to know how to best take care of the world around me. I must wrestle through the costs and benefits of inaction. I must do what is good for others, not just what I want.
However, all of these things can be twisted. When I try to become God - to take control, to determine what is most important - I will not be able to learn. So more important than any of these answers, is my position before God.
Without understanding the purpose of humanity and education, we cannot answer “Why do I have to learn this?”
No comments:
Post a Comment