Learning What It Means to Be a Learner

Every morning, for around 180 days a year, I wake up to the sound of my alarm set for 5:30 A.M. I get dressed, maybe drink a cup of coffee, and mentally prepare myself to go to school.

Some days I end up a bit moodier than others. I ask myself, “Why do I even bother?” Of course, I quickly answer my own question, “To learn!” But, what does that even mean?

What is learning? Why do we learn? What does learning look like?

I could continue wracking my brain for more questions, but I think my point is already made (plus, I simply like the rule of three). I’m sure most everyone is familiar with the concept of education and learning, but ask someone one of these questions or one that is similar and they’ll have to ponder for a bit.

If they strike up the courage to answer it will be found that their answers will not be the same as the next person’s, or the person after that. This is because of something we as a society tend to ignore or fail to understand: learning is not universal.

Though we are better now than we used to be, with the occasional reference to the differences in being a visual learner vs a logical learner, I think it’s deeper than that. Learners simply can’t just be classified just by considering if someone likes listening when they learn things or if they like holding something physical.

I say all of this to lead into the fact that I’ve spent the last week trying to decipher what learning is to me.

The process of learning almost always begins through some sort of experience. Whether this stems from a memory of a mentor explaining a process, continuously attempting a practice in order to master it, or making a mistake while trying to complete a task isn’t important. It’s significant to understand that we learn when we experience something that makes whatever knowledge significant to us.

Of these experiences, the ones that are more likely to be memorable to us tend to be the ones we engage in. I like to think that I am a math minded person (the same goes for a lot of people I interact with). There’s been occasions where I’ve seen the phrase “mathematical learner” used interchangeably with the phrase “logical learner”. While some may find that learning math is similar to thinking logically, I find that the reason I cling on to math easily is because I go through the process of solving problems. When I directly engage with my work I grow to understand why I do a certain step and can apply it to a different question. I think the opposite can be said for those who struggle to learn math (since math seems to be like a two-sided spectrum where we feel either extremely confident or extremely unconfident). The subject is difficult because they are unable to engage with the questions and sometimes stress too much over trying to memorize certain steps.

While I find that I engage most when I do something on my own I also believe that others can be extremely impactful to your learning.

When I was in eighth grade I took world history. Everyone in the class dreaded it because we were unable to connect with the content we were being taught. However, there was one day where my teacher got a sudden spark of enthusiasm. She took the classroom as her theater and taught us about King Henry VIII through her one-woman show. If I learnt anything through Janis Stallings it’s that King Henry VIII was kind of a sleazeball. I understand that that story seems extremely out-of-place, but to me it serves a special purpose as a reminder that teachers can truly serve a good purpose. We’re supplied with people who should be professionals on the topics they teach, and through powerful lessons they can be extremely effective.

I briefly brought up the capability teamwork has to enhance the ability to learn earlier. While the idea is somewhat similar to that of having an instructor, it’s different in that with a team ideas can float around and bounce off one another. Through working with a group of people with different perceptions a single solution can mold together that ends up being more mighty than anything one could make by themselves. My art teacher, Mr. Richardson, always says, “I’m not the most creative person in the room. We are,” and that truly means something.

In the end, learning is subjective. There’s too many factors that make up my own philosophy to be able to list here, and I really only grazed the tip of the iceberg. While I addressed the effectiveness I see in the ability to engage (and I know that is the fifth time I’ve said that word) and taking advantage of one another in order to mutually benefit in the end, I also accept that others will feel completely different than I do, and that’s okay. If there was one simple solution to what learning looks like there wouldn’t be such an emphasis put on those who are successful in learning. Learning a trade wouldn’t be what it is, and the emotions and struggle that comes with understanding would be missing. The challenge is what strengthens us.