Children learn. People learn. At times we add roadblocks that make learning harder, but the bottom line is that children are born with the ability and desire to learn. Watching a 6-18 month old child will prove this theory. For babies it is simple, they want something and they will do what they can do get it.
This morning, I was tying to get some work done, so I had my papers spread out of the footstool as my daughter played. My daughter, who is 11 months old decided she wanted to get my papers (paper is a far better toy than anything you can get in a toy store.) I moved her saucer to block her path to the table. I should have known this was not enough of a deterrent, but I thought my trick was enough. She figured out very quickly that she could climb on the bottom of the saucer to get to a gab between the chair and the table, which would allow her access to the papers.
This is learning. This is problem solving. This was figuring it out on her own. This was wanting something and figuring out how to get it
All kids can learn. The key is making it relevant to what they care about. My daughter is constant proof that if it is something she wants, she will figure out a way to get it. I struggle with where the line is in terms of responsibility between students and teachers when it comes to learning, but maybe we as teachers need to take more responsibility. Are our lessons fun? Are our lessons engaging? Does the content matter? Do we encourage kids to be smart or kids to work hard? I am a firm believer a hard worker will beat out a smart kid in the end.
Learning is a lifelong skill that is vital to success. Learning should be fun, it is an adventure. It is our duty as educators to make sure that our students are lifelong learners.
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